D Gallery

Praying Hands by Albrecht Durer

Praying hands by the German artist Albrecht Durer (1471 - 1528), circa 1500. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Praying hands, also known as Study of the Hands of an Apostle, is a pen-and-ink drawing by the German printmaker, painter and theorist Albrecht Durer. The work is today stored at the Albertina Museum in Vienna, Austria

Durers world map, 1515

Durer's world map, 1515. Albrecht Durer (1471- 1528) was a German artist. His skillful use of perspective and mathematical proportions made him one of the outstanding artistic figures of the early 16th century. This world map is based on Ptolemy's map plus extensions from Behaim's Globe of 1492. It is the first known perspective drawing of the entire Earth as a sphere, and was published in 1515, using the best maps of the time in collaboration with Nuremberg astronomer Johann Stabius. The map shows the world surrounded by 12 wind gods. Taken from Dr Willi Kurth's The Complete Woodcuts of Albrecht Durer (1936)

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Praying hands, art by Durer

Durer's Praying Hands. Sketch by the German artist Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) of praying hands (1508). Durer did much to introduce the Renaissance style of art to northern Europe. He travelled to Italy in 1494 and 1505 and studied the new art. He was one of the first to study and use perspective, and his mathematical rigour meant his works were among the best of the time

© SHEILA TERRY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY