Humanism Beginning in the 14th century with the work of
Petrarch, the father of
humanism, humanist ideals began to spread throughout Europe. Early humanists stressed the importance of studying the classics, Greek and Roman works, and learning the liberal arts. During the 15th century, Renaissance humanists applied humanism to their civic lives and stated that people should use their knowledge in the service of the state. They also believed that individuals had a great potential to succeed and could use that potential to improve society. In northern Europe, Christian Humanists combined humanist ideals with Christianity by emphasizing both education and scriptural knowledge. Artistically, humanists encouraged the study of the human form to accurately portray the beauty of the human body. One of the leading Christian Humanists was
Desiderius Erasmus, who became a friend of Albrecht Dürer when Dürer visited the Netherlands in 1520 and 1521. Well before that visit, Dürer traveled to Italy in the autumn of 1494 and talked with many Italian humanists. He also visited the workshops of numerous Italian humanist artists, including
Andrea Mantegna and
Giovanni Bellini. Due to this exposure to humanism and Italian art, Dürer became fascinated with how to best capture the proportions of the human body and consequently spent much time studying the human body and anatomical proportions. This interest can not only be seen in many of his paintings, but also in a number of his engravings, including
St. Michael Fighting the Dragon. Rise of Nuremberg Another major influence on Dürer's works was the rise of
Nuremberg as an intellectual center and as a leader in engravings. One of the main reasons behind Nuremberg's prominence was the release of the
Nuremberg Chronicle in 1493. This book contained around 650 original illustrations from
Michael Wolgemut, one of the leading engravers of the late-Gothic era, and his workshop. The
Nuremberg Chronicle not only demonstrated the capabilities of the new printing press, but also paved the way for the work of Albrecht Dürer in the coming years. Albrecht Dürer was an apprentice under Wolgemut and learned the art of engraving from one of the most well known engravers of the time. Technically, the development of better printing presses in Nuremberg allowed for Dürer to include much more detail in his work, from depicting St. Michael's hair with little curls to capturing the sails of two boats off in the distance. It also allowed for his work to be more easily distributed. ==See also==