"Perhaps the greatest artist of the Northern European Renaissance, Albrecht Du?rer (1471-1528) was a pioneer both in his artworks and in his artistic professionalism. By the age of 24 he had a flourishing print-making business and his virtuoso woodcuts and engravings ensured his fame across Europe. He also produced an extraordinarily prolific output in other media, which encompasses riveting portraits of key figures of the time and self-portraits (he was the first artist north of the Alps to paint a self-portrait), grand altarpieces, meticulous studies of animals and nature, and the first landscapes treated as stand-alone subjects. In this comprehensive introduction and insightful reappraisal, Jeffrey Chipps Smith looks at the work of the brilliant artist in the context of the historical and cultural ferment of pre- and post-Reformation Europe, untangling the myths about Du?rer's life and exploring his artistic processes."--Page 4 of cover.