Master Drawings of the Renaissance in the Erlangen Graphic Arts Collection
Exhibition at the University Library Erlangen-Nürnberg (UB), Conference Room of the Old University Library in Erlangen
January 21–February 1, 2015
The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) holds graphic works by all the major Renaissance artists of southern Germany, including seven drawings by Albrecht Dürer, who set artistic standards for the 16th century. The exhibition offered insights into the art of drawing during the Reformation. Masterpieces by Albrecht Altdorfer, Wolf Huber, Hans von Kulmbach, Hans Schäufelin, and others were on display.
An extensive research project led by Professor Hans Dickel and art historians at FAU has been completed: the 16th-century drawings in the Graphic Arts Collection have been recataloged. In addition to works by Albrecht Dürer, the collection includes pieces by his contemporaries and successors from Nuremberg and Franconia, including Peter Flötner and Sebald Beham.
The groups of works from other South German schools are equally significant. These works include drawings by Hans Holbein the Elder, Hans Burgkmair, Albrecht Altdorfer, and Wolf Huber, representing the highest level of German drawing of their time. In addition to these master drawings, the Erlangen Collection offers insight into workshops that employed apprentices and journeymen.