MARTIN BAILEY

Durer An introduction to the work of Albrecht Durer.Martin Bailey One of a series of introductory books on the great masters and movements in art Thi volume on Durer contains an extensive essay, 48 full-page colour plates, and is accompanied by extensive notes and comparative illustrations Provides incomparable value Highly regarded for its insight and authority Albrecht Durer (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. Durer 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, Durer grew up in Nuremberg, 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, Durer 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.

Vermeer An introduction to the work of Jan Vermeer.Martin Bailey One of a series of introductory books on the great masters and movements in art This volume on Vermeer contains an extensive essay, 48 full-page colour plates, and is accompanied by extensive notes and comparative illustrations Provides incomparable value Highly regarded for its insight and authority Johannes Vermeer of Delft (1632-75), known as 'the painter of light', was one of the most talented artists of the Dutch Golden Age. Only 36 of his paintings survive and little is known about his life, yet he is one of the most popular of the Old Masters. His tranquil and meticulously painted interiors, of such subjects as women writing or reading love letters, and men and women drinking together or playing musical instruments, are acutely observed and have an enduring appeal, both for their subject-matter and for the artist's breathtaking technique and sensuous handling of paint. Vermeer was raised in an inn, and he followed in his father's footsteps, becoming an innkeeper and an art dealer, as well as an artist. He qualified as a master painter in the Delft artists' Guild in 1653 and remained in the town all his life. He was greatly influenced by the artistic milieu, particularly by the painters Carel Fabritius, Leonaert Bramer, Pieter de Hooch and Gerard Dou. This book illustrates in colour all his extant works, including the magnificant townscape, View of Delft, and the allegory, The Art of Painting; with 12 telling details, it provides an excellent overview of his work and technique.