Records of Journeys to Venice and the Low Countries

A vivid collection of Albrecht Dürer’s own letters and diary entries invites listeners into the mind of one of the Northern Renaissance’s most curious artists. While journeying through Venice, the bustling markets and glittering canals become a backdrop for his sharp observations on everything from exotic animals to the intricacies of patronage. In these missives to his close friend Wilibald Pirkheimer, Dürer records not only his artistic projects but also the everyday costs of his travels, naming coins such as marcelli and stivers with the precision of a meticulous accountant.

The volume then turns to his Dutch expedition, where the sight of a stranded whale and encounters with fellow painters like Jan van Eyk reveal his blend of scientific wonder and humor. Interwoven with comments on the emerging Reformation, his letters show a thinker who balances a deep religious feeling with a pragmatic, almost modern, outlook on fame and legacy. Listeners will come away with a personal portrait of a man whose curiosity, charm, and artistic brilliance made him a magnetic figure wherever he roamed.