Dürer Landscape

In lieu of my final post on Albrecht Dürer, which has been researched and outlined but still not written, I am posting these watercolors of The Courtyard of the Former Castle of Innsbruck.

You will notice that the landscapes have been painted from a different perspective and presumably on different days.

Courtyard of the Former Castle of Innsbruck without Clouds 1494

Notes from the Web Gallery of Art:

This watercolour, together with another view of a castle courtyard in the Tirol, was presumably created during Dürer's first Italian journey in about 1494. The location of the castle is still disputed. Together with the other sheet, we have two differing views of the same castle courtyard. They show an extended courtyard with various Gothic castle buildings grouped around it. The bay-like staircase on the left is at its front side opposite the gate tower from which the second view of the courtyard was produced.

Courtyard of the Former Castle of Innsbruck with Clouds 1494

Notes from the Web Gallery of Art:

The picture shows a second variation of the castle courtyard in the Tirol, with clouds. The courtyard of the Gothic building is seen from a different side than in the first view. Here Dürer chose the balcony in the gate tower as his viewpoint, while in the first sheet a window in the opposite transverse wing was his starting point. There is still some uncertainty in his application of perspective here. However, the variety of forms of the Late Gothic buildings are recorded in detail.

I am curious to learn which landscape you prefer, with or without clouds. If you would, please leave me a note about your preference in the comments.

Related Tags: Albrecht Dürer, watercolor, landscape, fine art, Innsbruck

Comments

[Kim]

I like the one without the clouds. The blue in the clouds seem to distract me from the rest of the picture. The clouds really create a much different look than the one without the clouds.

[rebecca]

I like the one without clouds best, too. Not sure why.

I love that I can see the spot he must be standing in the second picture in the first one.

[Amy from Ezekiel's Garden]

I love the one with the clouds, too. It seems more of a landscape than a still life. The one sans clouds just seems almost like a still life or somehow not "real."