Г. Вельфлин и «Рисунки Альбрехта Дюрера»
Heinrich Wölfflin and «Albrecht Dürer. Drawings»

Summary/Abstract: The classic work of Heinrich Wölfflin «Albrecht Dürer. Drawings», devoted to Dürer’s mastership as draftsman and engraver, is translated into Russian for the first time by Ivan Chechot. The translation is done from the eighth edition of the book «Albrecht Dürer. Handzeichnungen / hrsg. Von Heinrich Wölfflin. Achte Auflage mit achtzig Abbildungen. R. Piper & CoVerlag, München, 1921». The first edition dates back to 1914 (published by Piper & Co, Munich). Along with the monograph «The Art of Albrecht Dürer» (1905) and later work «Albrecht Dürer. Outline of his personality» (1923), this Wölfflin’s work is fundamental for the researchers of Dürer and all those who are interested in «German sense of form». The focus of the author is the formal evolution of Dürer’s graphics (line, hatch, modeling, shadow). He compares different techniques (chalk, pen, charcoal, brush, silver pencil), focusing on the period of the second Italian journey (1505 – 1507) and a trip to the Netherlands (1520 – 1521). The key material for him are Dürer’s paintings («Portrait of a mother», «Portrait of his wife Agnes», «Lucas van Leyden», «Hare» and others), preparatory sketches for paintings («The Feast of the rosary»), prints on wood and copper (series «Apocalypse» and «Life of Mary», Geller altar, the cycle of so-called green «Passions», engravings «The Prodigal son», «Great happiness» and many others). Landscape and travel sketches also played their role in the development of Dürer’s drawing manner («View of the castle of Arco in South Tyrol», «Laughing Maid»). Wölfflin represents important trends in the development of graphic art of Dürer: autonomy of stroke, enthusiasm to the motive of movement, the influence of the Venetian school of painting, interest to material world and to small forms ( «Big bush of grass»). He sees the main principle of the art of Dürer in the pursuit of the perfect clarity of form and by comparing it with Grunewald and Altdorfer addresses the problem of the reception of the German master in the 20th century, which appreciates in drawing not so much seriousness and «purity of lines» but rather impulsivity.

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