DÜRER, Albrecht
(b. 1471, Nürnberg, d. 1528, Nürnberg)

Study of Drapery

1508
Brush drawing on a dark ground with white highlight, 400 x 235 mm
Staatliche Museen, Berlin

This drawing, a study for the figure of St Paul in the Heller Altar, is a primary example of the monumental drapery of the middle period. The contrast with Grünewald should be borne in mind: in Dürer, the light and shade are entirely subservient to the plastic form; in Grünewald, they create a general, unseizable movement that extends beyond the surfaces and blends the figure into the background.