Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) was a printmaker, painter and writer and is regarded as one of the greatest German Renaissance artists. He was born in Nuremberg, which was a European art capital in the 15th and 16th centuries.

He initially began as a printmaker and revolutionised the craft of woodcutting, advancing its reputation as a standalone art form. He was heavily inspired by Italian techniques and theories and integrated his interest in geometry and science throughout his style.

Some of his most famous pieces are his striking self-portraits, in which he depicts himself as a noble and affluent figure. With these Albrecht Durer prints, the viewer is taken on a journey of evolution along his path of success and self-admiration. He was famously quoted as saying, “The artist is chosen by God to fulfil his commands and must never be overwhelmed by public opinion”. It was commonly thought during the Renaissance period that the artist was the vessel in which God expressed Himself and Albrecht Durer followed this belief system ardently.