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1506 Oil on poplar panel National Gallery, Prague The Feast of the Rose Garlands is undoubtedly the most important work that D?rer created during his sojourn in Venice and was the work that ushered in the Renaissance. D?rer was obviously aware of this, as his letters and the painting itself demonstrate. The painting shows this in the distinction he gives his self-portrait: in the top right, in front of the typically German landscape passage at the foot of the mountains, with his face framed by long blond hair, donning luxurious clothes - even a precious fur cloak, in spite of the warm season - so as to be noticed among the other characters. He alone has ostentatiously turned his gaze to the spectator. Even the writing on the paper he holds is unusual for Italy. It indicates not only the time of production (five months), but next to his own name is the indication germanus. This detail was to distinguish himself from his Venetian colleagues, who evidently held him in very high regard, since even the doge and the patriarch came to his workshop to admire his work. The artist's companion is likely to be Leonhard Vilt, founder of the Brotherhood of the Rosary in Venice. The man in the far right, recognizable by the square he holds, is the architect Hieronymus of Augsburg, engineer of the new Fondaco dei Tedeschi (1505-8) after it was completely destroyed in a fire. Inscription on the sheet in the artist's hand, monogrammed and autograph writing: EXEGIT QUINQUE MESTRI SPATIO ALBERTUS DURER GERMANUS MDVI. (`Albrecht D?rer, a German, produced it within the span of five months. 1506.')Artist:D?RER, Albrecht Title: Feast of the Rose Garlands (detail) Painted in 1501-1550 , German - - painting : religious |
