DURER, Albert, the father of the German school of painting, “the prince of artists,” as his countrymen loved to call him, was born at Nurnberg in 1471, according to an entry in his father’s day-book, “on the day of St. Prudentius, on a Friday of the holy week.” His father was a humble pious goldsmith, of whom the great painter saia: “ His daily speech to us was, that we should abound in love to God, and act faithfully towaras our neighbor.” D. was carefully educated and instructed by his father in the goldsmith trade, and at 15 executed a piece of work in chased silver representing the seven “falls of Christ”—in reference to the tradition that Christ fell seven times while bearing his cross to Mt. Calvary. Even as a child, drawing was his delight, and he was wont to astonish by the exactness with which he drew parts of the human body, and even whole figures, also lines and circles at the first stroke, without ruler or compass. His father therefore bound him apprentice, in 1486, to Michael Wohlgemuth, the chief Niirnberg artist, with whom he served three years. From 1490 to 1494 he traveled in Germany and the Venetian states; and on his return, his father “ bargained” with Hans Frei, a skillful mechanic of Niirnberg to give him to wife his daughter Agnes, who turned out a perfect Xantippe, with nothing to recommend her but beauty and 200 florins, who embittered the whole course of his life, and, as his life-long friend Pirkheimer asserts, hastened his death. After receiving his diploma with all the honors and rights of a master, obtained for his famous drawing of Orpheus, he went to Venice in 1505, where he painted a picture of the martyrdom of St. Bartholomew, and one of Adam and Eve, afterwards bought for the gallery at Prague. He also visited Bologna, where it is said that he met with Raphael, who esteemed him highly, and that each painted for the other his portrait. After this journey, his fame spread widely, and the Emperor Maximilian appointed him court painter, with an annuity of 100 florins; and Charles V. confirmed the same in a document still to be seen in the Niirnberg archives. In 1520, he visited the Netherlands with his wife and their maid-servant; and they were splendidly entertained at Antwerp and Bruges by the painters, a costly dinner being served on vessels of silver, the whole party conducting them home late in the night by the light of many torches. His expenses were often defrayed at the inns, and he was escorted free from city to city. He says in his journal' “The people did obeisance unto me as if they were leading some great lord.” D. warmly embraced the doctrines of the Reformation; and his journal contains a long lamentation and prayer on hearing that Luther had been carried off to the castle of Wartburg. At Antwerp he records: “I was now overcome by a strange sickness, of which I never yet heard from any man'’