Abstract
After his return from Venice in February 1507, Albrecht Durer devoted most of his time to a commission from his old and faithful patron, the Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony. This commission was the Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand, now in Vienna (Fig. 1). According to Durer, it was already “more than half finished” on August 27, 1507;1 but there is reason to believe that this statement, made in order to appease the impatience of Jakob Heller who urged Durer to begin his own altarpiece, must not be taken too literally. That in reality the greater part of the work was still to be done is evident from the very fact that it was still “a fortnight from completion” on March 19, 1508,2 that is to say after an interval even longer than that which had elapsed between Durer's first letter and his return from Italy.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
