Includes bibliographical references (p. 423-442) and index.

The young Dürer : his family and training -- Dürer's "Wanderjahre" : the years 1490 to 1495 -- A master in Nuremberg : the foundations of fame -- In the garden of Eden : becoming a knowledgeable artist -- "Here I am a gentleman, at home only a parasite" : a return to Venice -- Languages of faith : the rhetoric of engagement -- Masterly prints : the Apelles of black lines -- Graphic ambitions : in the service of the emperor -- In search of a whale : the Netherlandish journey, 1520-1 -- Portraits of the soul : the quest for immortality -- The portable Dürer : from artist to icon.

"Perhaps the greatest artist of the Northern European Renaissance, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was a pioneer both in his artworks and in his artistic professionalism. By the age of 24 he had a flourishing print-making business and his virtuoso woodcuts and engravings ensured his fame across Europe. He also produced an extraordinarily prolific output in other media, which encompasses riveting portraits of key figures of the time and self-portraits (he was the first artist north of the Alps to paint a self-portrait), grand altarpieces, meticulous studies of animals and nature, and the first landscapes treated as stand-alone subjects. In this comprehensive introduction and insightful reappraisal, Jeffrey Chipps Smith looks at the work of the brilliant artist in the context of the historical and cultural ferment of pre- and post-Reformation Europe, untangling the myths about Dürer's life and exploring his artistic processes."--p. [4] of cover.