Albrecht Duerer - Adoration of the Magi

Was Pieter Bruegel the Elder influenced by Albert Duerer?


Yes, Pieter Bruegel the Elder was influenced by Albrecht D;rer. Bruegel was inspired by a variety of artists, and D;rer's work, particularly his woodcut series on the Apocalypse, is considered a notable influence.

How D;rer's Work Influenced Bruegel
D;rer's Saint Michael Fighting the Dragon, from his Apocalypse series, is believed to have directly inspired Bruegel's 1562 painting, The Fall of the Rebel Angels. Bruegel's depiction of the archangel Michael as a central figure standing over a dragon with a sword is thought to be an interpretation of D;rer's composition.

While both artists were key figures in the Northern Renaissance, their styles and subjects diverged. Bruegel focused on depicting the lives of ordinary people, often with satirical or allegorical undertones, earning him the nickname "Peasant Bruegel." D;rer, on the other hand, was a humanist who explored themes of self-portraiture and scientific observation, and he was crucial in elevating the status of the artist in Northern Europe.


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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khEBJ4CkT9A

Albrecht Duerer - Adoration of the Magi

Kelly Bagdanov
Jan 7, 2025
Albrecht D;rer’s, Adoration of the Magi, is a painting that highlights the universal nature of the incarnation. In typical Northern fashion, D;rer has layered on meaning with all of the small details he has included in this visual retelling of the story. During the Renaissance, the Magi traveling from the east to worship the newborn king emphasizes that Christ came for all the nations and peoples. 

The Adoration of the Magi is a panel painting that was commissioned by Frederick the Wise around 1504 for the chapel in Wittenberg castle. It is a relatively small work intended for the altar, and is only about a meter wide.

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_____Contents of this Video______________________
00:46 - The Virgin and Child
02:47 - Wise Men Bearing Gifts?
03:42 - Early Debates on the Magi
04:26 - Current Understandings of the Magi
05:00 - Durer’s Understanding of the Wise Men
05:40 - Caspar
06:52 - Melchior
08:21 - The Grouping of Mary and the Two Wise Men
08:53 - Balthazar
10:22 - A Note about Viewing Paintings Online
11:44 - Linking Balthazar and Mary
12:35 - Background of Durer's Adoration of the Magi
13:57 - Billowing Clouds and Herod’s Men
15:17 - Animals, Insects, and Plants


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Albrecht Durer

BBC Northern Renaissance 02 The Birth of the Artist

Documentary movies
Nov 14, 2015
Series in which Joseph Leo Koerner argues that the Renaissance in Northern Europe - more so than its Italian counterpart - laid the foundations of modern art. He assesses the career of German painter Albrecht Durer, who harnessed the new medium of printing to become the first world-famous artist.