Albrecht Dürer Quotes, born May 21, 1471, in Nuremberg, Germany, was a German painter, printmaker, and theorist of the Northern Renaissance, renowned for his woodcuts, engravings, and paintings like Melencolia I and Self-Portrait (1500). A pioneer in applying mathematical principles to art, he authored treatises like Four Books of Human Proportion (1528) and The Art of Measurement (1525), influencing generations with his mastery of perspective and proportion. His work blended technical precision with deep faith and a reverence for nature. These 15 quotes—sourced from his writings, public statements, and inspired by his artistic philosophy—reflect his insights on art, beauty, geometry, faith, and the creative process, capturing his legacy as a Renaissance genius.
15 Albrecht Dürer Quotes
- “What beauty is, I know not, though it adheres to many things.” (Four Books of Human Proportion, 1528)
- “And since geometry is the right foundation of all painting, I have decided to teach its rudiments and principles to all youngsters eager for art.” (The Art of Measurement, 1525)
- “Truly, art is embedded in nature; he who can extract it, has it.” (Four Books of Human Proportion, 1528)
- “Sane judgment abhors nothing so much as a picture perpetrated with no technical knowledge, although with plenty of care and diligence.” (The Art of Measurement, 1525)
- “If a man devotes himself to art, much evil is avoided that happens otherwise if one is idle.” (Four Books of Human Proportion, 1528)
- “The new art must be based upon science—in particular, upon mathematics, as the most exact, logical, and graphically constructive of the sciences.” (Quoted in Dictionary of Scientific Biography, 1970–1990, ed. M. Steck)
- “As I grew older, I realized that it was much better to insist on the genuine forms of nature, for simplicity is the greatest adornment of art.” (Four Books of Human Proportion, 1528)
- “No single man can be taken as a model for a perfect figure, for no man lives on earth who is endowed with the whole of beauty.” (Four Books of Human Proportion, 1528)
- “Help us to recognize your voice, help us not to be allured by the madness of the world, so that we may never fall away from you, O Lord Jesus Christ.” (Prayer, quoted in Albrecht Dürer: His Life and Work, 1960, by M. Brion)
- “I hold that the perfection of form and beauty is contained in the sum of all men.” (Four Books of Human Proportion, 1528)
- “An artist of understanding and experience can show more of his great power and art in small things roughly and rudely done, than many another in a great work.” (Quoted in Albrecht Dürer: Artist in the Midst of Two Storms, 2017, by S. Bieler)
- “My father suffered much and toiled painfully all his life, for he had no resources other than the proceeds of his trade to support himself and his wife and family.” (Quoted in Albrecht Dürer: His Life and Work, 1960, by M. Brion)
- “Nature holds the beautiful, for the artist who has the insight to extract it. Thus, beauty lies even in humble, perhaps ugly things.” (Four Books of Human Proportion, 1528)
- “He that would be a painter must have a natural turn thereto. Love and delight therein are better of the Art of Painting than compulsion.” (The Art of Measurement, 1525)
- “The treasure secretly gathered in your heart will become evident through your creative work.” (Quoted in Goodreads, n.d.)
Albrecht Dürer’s quotes weave together art’s technical precision with its spiritual and natural roots, inspiring us to seek beauty, embrace discipline, and create with passion. Which one ignites your creative spark? Share it in the comments and keep Dürer’s Renaissance legacy thriving!
Emma Thompson
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