From Schongauer to Holbein Master Drawings from Basel and Berlin

Presenting for the first time complementary holdings from the internationally renowned drawing collections of the Kupferstichkabinett, Berlin, and the Kupferstichkabinett, Basel, this volume is a singular overview of drawings from the beginning of the German Renaissance to the mid-sixteenth century. In this period of transition from the late Middle Ages to the early modern age, craftsmen and artists emerged from the traditional anonymity of their trade. They began consciously to reflect on their role in society, and took a more humanist view of nature in their work. They chose to depict dramatic events rather than biblical allegories and saints, using detailed perspective and natural scenery. In addition to drawings by three of the most accomplished artists of this era - Albrecht Dürer, Hans Holbein the Younger, and Matthias Grünewald, this book includes three who worked in Dürer's workshop - Hans Baldung, Hans von Kulmbach, and Hans Schäufelein; the Swiss artists Urs Graf and Niklaus Manuel; and the master of the Danube school, Albrecht Altdorfer, Erhard Altdorfer, and Wolf Huber. This exceptional survey presents twenty-five artists altogether, each represented by descriptive analysis and color reproductions of their work. (German edition available ISBN 3-7757-0669-0)