However, Giovanni Bei Lini was disappointed when the young man brought many old brushes he had used. He looked at the young man with suspicion and sincerity. Because the brushes this young man is wearing are the most common ones. Giovanni Bei Lini suspected that the young man was cheating him. Sensitive young people certainly felt it at once. He didn't say anything, but dipped one of the broken pens in paint and drew a soft, slender and wavy female hair for Giovanni Bei Lini. Giovanni Bei Lini believed these young people when he saw that he really painted such fine and soft hair with such ordinary strokes. Disappointed, he chose a brush as a souvenir from the pile, but he admired the young man even more in his heart.
Who is this young man who can make the great painter Giovanni Bei Lini admire? He is Diu Lei, the most outstanding painter in the German Renaissance.
Albrecht Dürer was born on May 2 147 1, and his birthplace was Nuremberg, the center of German humanism at that time. This city is very prosperous, and its science, technology and culture are also developed. His father was a Hungarian goldsmith. Diu Lei studied handicrafts with his father when he was young, but gradually became interested in painting. From 65438 to 0496, Diu Lei studied painting with the famous local painter Voldemort, and later worshipped several famous teachers. 1494, Diu Lei returned to Nuremberg and set up his own studio. Soon, accompanied by his wife, he traveled all over Italy for the first time and began to write when he came back. During this period, his works mainly include Delaitre's and Kaspersky's altar paintings "Father's Portrait" and "Self-Portrait", copperprints "Saint Christopher", "Three Peasants", "Wanderer", woodcut "Men's Bathroom", "Sam Sen" and 65,438+05 woodcut "The Revelation of St. John".
The Revelation of St. John is the last passage in the Bible full of horror and whimsy. Diu Lei borrowed the revelation of St. John, suggesting that the tyranny of Rome would suffer. One of the most representative is the Four Horsemen. The farthest thing in the picture is that a Mercedes-Benz is drawing a bow and shooting arrows to represent "fighting"; A closer man was riding a horse with a sword in his hand. He stands for "war"; The third knight waved the empty balance, indicating that the evil soul no longer needs to be weighed. He stands for "famine"; Recently, a skinny old man rode a thin horse and held a steel fork behind the house. He stands for "death". The four knights galloped through the sinful crowd, trampling mercilessly on the fallen crowd. Under the horseshoe of "Death", an emperor dressed in fine clothes and wearing a crown is staring at his own doom with frightened eyes. His noble body has been trampled to pieces, and his noble head is about to be swallowed up by monsters in hell. In addition, those who hate it at all levels will also be severely punished. Dark clouds rolled in the sky, thunder and lightning flashed, and the messengers of the gods pointed out who was the evildoer in the air. The whole picture is full of dramatic changes. The sword of justice is invincible, and thunder and lightning roar for it. Let those who are full of evil escape in panic, fear and crying, and no one will be spared.
In addition, in this group of woodcuts, such as "The Prostitute of Babylon" and "The Battle of Angel Mikhail and the Devil" are also very famous. The Revelation of St John is the representative work of Diu Lei's prints in this period. Historians have always regarded these 15 prints, which have made outstanding achievements in creative ideas and techniques, as the symbol of the end of German medieval art and the milestone of the arrival of the new art era. In these outstanding works, Diu Lei began to use his novel and unique signature-He (that is, the combination of A and D).
The Revelation of St John was a great success, which made Diu Lei famous and became a new star in German painting. He is full of confidence in his own strength. For example, in his self-portrait of this period, Diu Lei painted himself as a holy apostle, and his design was similar to that of Christ Jesus. "A very thin curly hair is separated left and right. There is a solemn expression on his face, a pair of eyes full of wisdom and pity, and his right hand points to his chest as if to show his mind. " This is actually the image of Christ, the image of God who saved the world in Diu Lei's mind. In Diu Lei's mind, Christ Jesus is no longer the supreme in religious sense, but an upright man. He has a heart that loves the motherland and cares about the people. This is God on earth. This is precisely the noble character that Renaissance humanists care about to engage in change and promote the progress of the times. Here, Diu Lei painted himself as Christ. Although he boasted, he also showed the profundity of Diu Lei's thought and the greatness of his personality. He was there, as if saying Martin Luther's famous saying, "I stand firm and I can only do this."
Diu Lei not only painted this kind of self-portrait which seems to have a little mysticism and profound meaning. Moreover, in his large-scale religious works "The Sacrifice of Secula" and "The Worship of the Trinity", he also appeared on the screen as a "bystander" or "assistant" for many times.
1500 years later, Diu Lei has made new development and achievements in painting. For example, Doctor Comes to Worship, Miracle of the Sea, Nemesis, Altar Painting of Santa Maria and Adam and Eve are all excellent works.
1505, when the plague was prevalent in Nuremberg, Diu Lei went to Italy for the second time. Under the guidance of Giovanni Bei Lini, a great painter of the Venetian School, he had a deep feeling about the oil painting techniques and colors in Venice. At the same time, his outstanding achievements in art were favored and respected by Italian colleagues, which contributed to the opening scene. During this period, Diu Lei mainly created The Venetian Woman, The Virgin with a rosary, The Sacrifice of Luo Secula, The Trinity Altar and The Altar Painting of Hera. But the last masterpiece, The Painting of Hera Altar, was unfortunately burned in 1509.
Diu Lei returned to Nuremberg after studying for two years. During this period, many other works were produced, including Knight, Death and Devil, Hieronymus in the Study and Melancholy, which were recognized as the three major copperplate prints in his golden age. Knight, Death and the Devil is full of nervous emotions, and the picture shows a persevering and strong-willed Christian advancing in the evil forces. Diu Lei said that in such a turbulent and painful society, humanists should declare war on the autocratic evil forces such as "Christian knights".
In the study, Hieronymus depicts an image of a scholar who goes all out to engage in scientific research. The picture shows a small study. Hieronymus is immersed in his career. On the ground is a group of tame dozing beasts tamed by the power of science. Sunlight shines through colorful windows, presenting a comfortable atmosphere. Diu Lei clearly raised the banner of scientific humanism here, and he was full of confidence in the great power that science would defeat barbarism.
The emotional thought revealed in Melancholy is more tortuous and difficult to understand, and it is called "an incomprehensible symphony". The character in the picture holds a compass in his hand, and his face shows a complex expression of hesitation, doubt and disappointment. There are sand clocks, scales, saws, planers and nails scattered everywhere in the room. Everything is quiet and seems to be condensed. Cupid stopped playing and the dog slept wearily. The room was covered with dim light, as if everything had stopped for a long time, leaving only a faint dust. The whole work not only seems to show the solemnity and greatness of scientific exploration, but also seems to be in the fierce struggle of ideological contradictions. No matter how you imagine, depression is still an unsolved mystery.
These three copperplate prints mark the peak of Diu Lei's printmaking art. In fact, as early as the Middle Ages, copperplate prints appeared, but they didn't develop. In Diu Lei's three works, Diu Lei used a novel composition, using the combination of parallel lines, intersecting lines and dotted lines to express different textures and shapes of objects, so as to achieve a perfect effect, which eclipsed the craftsman-style copperplate prints in the17th century.
In his later years, Diu Lei's works tend to be mature. Among them, the most famous is the Four Apostles. The Four Apostles was written in 1526 and submitted to the Nuremberg City Council. These are two long and narrow giant portraits, depicting four disciples of Jesus: John and Peter, Paul and Kyle. On the left is a symbol of kindness and wisdom. The young man in a soft red cloak is John, and next to him is a tall Peter Reading. On the right is a symbol of justice and strength. Long Paul is wearing a thick white cloak, with a book in one hand and a sword in the other. Next to him is the alert and brave Kyle. The two works are in sharp contrast. Diu Lei completely abandoned the Italian habit of displaying characters in a vast space background. Four characters are arranged in the picture compactly, which makes the picture give people a stronger impact.
Two years later,1April 6, 528, Diu Lei died in Nuremberg.
Diu Lei is a great artist. He has worked hard all his life. He created a large number of works and theoretical works in his life, including 350 woodcuts, 65,438+000 copperplate prints, more than 65,438+000 sketches and more than 60 oil paintings. In addition, he left a wealth of written materials. In addition to his autobiography, letters and diaries, Diu Lei also made an in-depth study of art theory. He has completed three major works: Investigation Guide, Requirements for Strengthening the City and Body Proportion Theory, especially Body Proportion Theory, which is an important work in art history. Diu Lei wrote: "We are willing to watch beautiful things because they can bring us joy." True art is contained in nature, and whoever can explore it can master it.
Diu Lei is not only a great artist, but also an architect and architect. Diu Lei's greatness can be compared with that of the greatest man of his time. Therefore, Goethe, a great German poet, said, "When we know Diu Lei clearly, we are in the process of truth, nobility and even perfection, and realize that only the greatest Italian can be equal to his value."