Dangerous Beauty: The Prints of Albrecht Dürer

Curated by Steven McNeil, AGGV Chief Curator & Director of Exhibitions
Sharing artwork from the AGGV collection, this exhibition presents twelve prints by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). The selected prints showcase the artist’s extraordinary skill as a printmaker and his fascination with dramatic subjects centred on danger. Dürer’s prints often merge themes of danger and beauty, incorporating monstrous figures as well as scenes that evoke imminent or unfolding peril. Dürer’s depictions of dangerous beauty are often linked to his skill in printmaking, where he harnesses his significant technical knowledge to create a sense of the sublime.

Albrecht Dürer is an exceptionally gifted painter and printmaker of the Northern Renaissance period. Initially trained as a goldsmith, Dürer turned to printmaking as a young adult, producing woodcut prints for wide distribution, as well as engravings for a more specialized audience. He brought a level of technical skill to his profession that was groundbreaking and had a significant impact on artistic practice.

Image: Albrecht Dürer (German, 1471 - 1528), The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, woodcut, 38.7 x 27.5 cm. Dr. Gustav and Marie Schilder Collection. AGGV1964.188.001