Albrecht Dürer helped define the Northern Renaissance, the period when Renaissance ideas spread through Northern Europe and developed a distinctive focus on detail, symbolism, and observation.

Working as a painter, printmaker, and theorist, he brought exceptional precision and intellectual curiosity to his art. His work reflects a deep fascination with nature, human body, faith, proportion, and the visible world, and his lines can be incredibly fine and controlled.

Dürer is especially important for the development of printmaking. His prints allowed his images to circulate widely, reaching audiences far beyond a single city or patron.