The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-11-21

was none too kind to man. OF national
life at that time there was little; small
principalities. each dominated by a
petty prince. preyed upon each other
and made conditions that were far
from fostering art. However. in the
two free imperial cities of Nuremberg
and Augsburg there developed the
greatest pair of artists of which Ger
many boasts and among those which
the world has yet produced. One was
Hans Holbein: the other the subject of
this paper, was Albrecht Durer, no less
able as a painter than as an ensraver,
though better known to posterity by
his skill in the latter direction. Cen
uine, original. inventive and deXterous
to a marvellous degree. he initiated no
man. but, blazing path for himself.
he set an example for generations of
artists to come, to whom he has been
an inspiration, guide and shining
example. All this he accomplished in
a modest manner for the pure love of
his art; he was ambitious. but not for
worldly favors, being DESTROYS only to
excel in his profession as master
worker; he cared little for honors and
went his way modestly, striving ever
to perfect his technique, to improve his
drawing and TO widen his scope in
painting. He lived a life of great use
fulness and probity, and, dying, left
behind him the splendid fruits of his
labor every scrap of which is now
priced as a precious memento of a
veritable master of his art.
Above all it must be remembered
that Albrecht Durer was a pioneer in
his art for before his time little had
been done to popularize art in his
country or to make it factor in the
life of the times. He not only stands
out with the utmost prominence in the
l.; 81 lint he lpfr N
imprint on the whole history of art
since his time. and this is something
that may be said of few men, The
story of his life though simple. is in
teresting and worth the telling. and
his own words may be quoted in ex-
cuse In draft of book on proper
ton which he had planned he says:
In this matter ] will. with the help
of God, set forth the little have learnt.
though it will seem but a poor thing to
many. But this does not trouble me.
for know well that ii is easier to find
fault with a thing than TO make some
thing better
Durer's family was of Hungarian or
igin. His father came to Nuremberg in
1455. and Albrecht. who was born in
AL, on May 81. was one of eighteen
children. only three of whom grew up,
the others dying early. The father be-.
came prominently identified with the
art of the goldsmith. and as soon as
Albrecht was old enough he was set at
the same trade. Although he had
small interest in this work. he labored
diligently and pleased his father so
much that when he finally confessed
his discomfort with goldsmithing and
his desire to become a painter, his
wishes were respected and he was APP
prenticed TO the painter Michel Wolge-
nut, one of the few in that guild in
the ancient city. but also the best.
There is preserved in the Albertina
collection in Vienna q drawing made
by Albrecht at the age of Is. done in
silver point, likeness OF himself,
which shows remarkable talent and al
ready a knowledge of the handling of
his medium so characteristic of The
man in later life.
About the time of the artists birth
Gutenberg's great invention of printing
was brought from Mayence to Nurem-
berg, and Albrecht's master. Wolgemut,
with his partner. Pleydenwurff. were
later employed to make illustrations
for books published about 1880. Thus
the young man. was profoundly inter-
ested and brought in close contact with
such work in which he was shortly to
excel. In 1889 his apprenticeship ter
minated. and his father sent him off
for four-year wandering tour, to ac-
quire by travel what he could in reia-
ton to his art. Such was the custom
at tina. time. He visited various Ger
man towns and studied for awhile with
a brother of the famous Martin Schon-
gauer. the most distinguished engraver
of his day. who. though dead had left
traditions which his brother carried out
in the school established by the famous
man. Finally he arrived at Venice,
where he made. - senuaintance