Drer (Colour Library)

Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) was one of the greatest artists of the Northern Renaissance, remarkable for the range and versatility of his work. His woodcuts and engravings made him famous throughout Europe and he is still regarded as one of the most brilliant printmakers of all time. Dürer was equally successful at religious and secular subjects, paining magnificent altarpieces and powerful portraits. He also produced an impressive range of drawings and watercolours in a variety of media.

The son of a Hungarian goldsmith, Dürer grew up in Nüremberg, a town half-way between the Netherlands and Italy, and he found inspiration in the work of painters of both these major artistic centres of his time. But rather than simply imitating what others were doing, Dürer was very much an innovator; he is the first artist who is known to have painted a self-portrait and to have done a landscape painting of a specific scene. This book contains some of his best-loved works, including A Young Hare and Praying Hands.

Martin Bailey is a former arts correspondent at the Observer. He contributes regularly to the Art Newspaper and his publications include Van Gogh: Letters from Provence (1990).