Hans Dürer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hans Dürer (born February 21, 1490 in Nuremberg , † 1534 in Krakow ) was a German painter and draftsman .

Name variants: Hans Derer , Hans Direr , Hans Dyrher , Johannes Derer , Johannes Direr , Johannes Dürer , Johannes Dyrer , Hanusz Derer , Hanusz Dürer , Hanusz Dyrer , Hanusz Dyrher

Life

Hans Dürer was a son of the goldsmith Albrecht Dürer the Elder. Ä. and his wife Barbara as well as the younger brother of the painter Albrecht Dürer the Elder. J. and the goldsmith Endres Dürer .

After his father's death in November 1502, he was accepted by his brother Albrecht and began an apprenticeship as a painter in his workshop. Here at the latest in 1503 he came into contact with the painters Hans Baldung and Hans Schäufelein , who also worked there as journeyman, and who presumably had a decisive influence on his artistic development. In 1505 Albrecht Dürer planned to take his brother Hans with him to Italy, but his mother Barbara opposed the plan, so that this project had to be abandoned. One reason for this refusal was probably the concern shared by all family members that Hans' character was very unstable and that they were very worried about his future. This may also be one of the reasons why a decision was made against Albrecht's recommendation to teach Hans to Michael Wolgemut or another Nuremberg painter. Albrecht probably hoped that his suggestion would give his younger brother other ideas if he was given meaningful work. It is therefore quite conceivable and likely that Hans was involved in the work of the so-called Ober Sankt Veit Altar for the Elector of Saxony, Frederick the Wise , which began in 1505 and is now in the Cathedral and Diocesan Museum, during Albrecht's second trip to Italy in Vienna is (Inv No .: W. 319-323) and was probably executed by Albrecht designs largely by Hans Schäufelein. However, this cooperation cannot be proven.

Direct collaboration of Hans Dürer on a commissioned work is documented for the first time for the so-called Heller Altar , the remains of which are now in the Historical Museum in Frankfurt am Main (Inv.-No .: B 266 - B 269) . Hans was involved in the painting of the wings and received a tip of two guilders from the client, Jakob Heller .

Hans matured to become a master under the eyes of his brother. A fight by Hans Dürer is documented for 1510, in which he was probably only slightly injured by a stab, so that he was able to start his journeyman hike that same year . It is not known where this led him. Italy is probably where a brother of Albrecht Dürer stayed in Milan in 1511 . However, it is not known whether it was actually Hans or the somewhat older Endres. After that, every further trace of Hans Dürer is lost for more than a decade. It is likely that he was oriented eastward in terms of work. There is suspicion that he may have stayed in Saxony and Silesia for long periods of time before settling in Krakow in the second half of the 1620s, where, for reasons unknown, he caught the attention of King Sigismund I , who appointed him court painter in 1527 and paid him a basic weekly salary of one guilder. Any work incurred was paid extra.

However, the lack of works that can be clearly attributed to him currently makes it impossible for researchers to decide whether his artistic talent or his name Dürer and the connections to Nuremberg were decisive for this position. Proof that only his name was decisive could be the elevation made in 1531 for the silver altar of the Sigismund Chapel on the Wawel, which was carried out by Melchior Baier , Peter Flötner , Pankraz Labenwolf , Georg Pencz and Hans Vischer . Of the 5,800 guilders paid for the work of art, only 12 guilders went to Hans Dürer. A previously assumed collaboration on the wing paintings has now been recognized as a work by Georg Pencz. The elevation on canvas is lost. The name thesis contradicts the fact that Hans Dürer was the best paid artist on the Wawel in the years between 1529 and 1534, apart from the aforementioned outline. The work carried out was, however, as far as can still be seen from the documents that have been preserved, rather decorative wall paintings, gilding and the setting of carvings. Much of it is lost today or only preserved in fragments and hardly allows any conclusions to be drawn about Hans Dürer's real talent. The analysis is made more difficult by the fact that not all of the fragments obtained can be from him. Even the Cebes frieze in the Gesandtensaal, which was for a long time attributed to him as the main work , is by another artist and cannot have been created before 1535. Documentary evidence, however, is a collaboration on the frieze in the tournament hall; but since this was done by several artists and probably at different times, Hans' share of the work can no longer be determined.

In 1530 Hans made a major inheritance, which he received from his share of Albrecht Dürer's estate and was sent to Krakow. This was not just about money, but also personal possessions of the painter, who died in 1528, of which nothing can be proven today. By 1534 at the latest, Hans was completely penniless and heavily in debt. He fell ill and was completely unable to work. His death is also recorded in the account books of the same year without specifying the exact date. The year 1538, often mentioned in older literature as the year of Hans Dürer's death, is probably a mix-up and is based on the fact that that year his brother Endres was in Krakow to settle the complicated estate of his deceased brother.

The artist

Hans Dürer's art is difficult to grasp today and is largely based on vague attributions. Since he does not even know the monogram with which he used to sign his works, almost every work from the 16th century with the initials HD was associated with him in the past . With some certainty one believes to be able to assign him an HD signed Saint Jerome in the Muzeum Narodowe in Krakow, which is quite obvious due to the location. Another signed Hieronymus , dated 1532, is likely to have been made by the same painter from a stylistic point of view and is now in the Galleria Ca 'd'Oro in Venice . Both works, however, are only of moderate quality, which is far removed from the art of Albrecht Dürer and shows influences from different painters. A signed portrait of King Sigismund I in profile , dated 1530 and located in the Muzeum Narodowe in Warsaw , can possibly be added to these two works . Since this is heavily painted over, no final judgment can be made.

It is noticeable that many of the paintings attributed to Hans Dürer show people in very colorful clothing. Whether this is actually a trademark of his art, however, must remain highly speculative due to the lack of comparative material.

It looks similar with the attribution of drawings. The high-quality marginal drawings for the prayer book of Emperor Maximilian I , which were previously partially assigned to him, are now considered works by Albrecht Altdorfer . Only a pen and ink drawing in watercolors with the depiction of the Last Judgment, kept in the Louvre in Paris and signed by Hans Durer vnd , is possibly an autograph work.

A number of woodcuts and engravings have also been ascribed to Hans Dürer in the past. A previously assumed collaboration on the honor gate of Emperor Maximilian I , dated 1515, is considered to be refuted. Further engravings kept in the graphic collections in Erlangen and in the British Museum in London were ascribed to him because of their monogram, but show no relationship to his art circle and, according to current knowledge, are no longer considered works by him. Art history is increasingly assuming that Hans probably never worked as an engraver or wood cutter.

Works

Possibly authentic works

  • Krakow, Muzeum Narodowe
Saint Jerome. 1526
  • Paris, Musée National du Louvre (Cabinet des Dessins)
The Last Judgement. (Drawing)
  • Venice, Ca 'd'Oro
Saint Jerome. 1530
  • Warsaw, Muzeum Narodowe
Portrait of King Sigismund in profile. 1530 (attributed)
The Ambassador's Hall in Krakow Palace, 1532, "Wall frieze with a humanistic representation of human life"

Further attributions

The following list contains a number of works that are often ascribed to Hans Dürer in the literature. None of the works mentioned can be unequivocally associated with his work, so that these assignments must be considered highly speculative.

  • Enschede, Rijksmuseum Twenthe
Winged altar with the holy clan. 1515
  • Neisse (Nysa), Jakobskirche
Our Lady with the fourteen helpers in need. 1524
  • Prague, Narodni Gallery
Saint Jerome in the landscape.
  • Rome, Galleria Spada
Portrait of a Young Man. 1511 (possibly a work by Hans Döring )
  • Warsaw, Muzeum Narodowe
Christ carrying the cross. 1522
  • Warwick, Compton Verney Art Gallery
Saint Catherine.
Saint Barbara.
  • Whereabouts unknown
The holy clan. 1518 (most recently Pommersfelden, Weissenstein Castle)
The Annunciation. (auctioned on December 9, 1992 in Munich)
Christ at the scourge column with Mary and John. (attributed - auctioned on May 15, 1993 at Lempertz in Cologne)
Saint Christopher. (auctioned on May 25, 1999 at Christie's in New York)

literature

Web links

Commons : Hans Dürer  - Collection of images, videos and audio files