This house (the one in the center of the photo) is now a museum showing the reconstructed living and working quarters of the great artist Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). There are no original Dürer paintings here, but a number of copies and reproductions, and a lot of information about his life and career.
And about how he mixed his paint, for example. You wouldn’t believe all the things he mixed in to get the colors he wanted. Suffice it to say some of them smelled pretty bad.
Inside the Dürer House
Admission to Dürer’s house costs € 6.00 for adults (as of 2022), but there are hefty reductions for various categories, such as anyone under 18, students, people doing volunteer work, and now also for refugees who are enrolled in an integration course.
Workshop in the Dürer House
Included in the admission fee is the use of an audio guide, on which Dürer’s wife, Agnes Dürer, explains the various rooms of the house and what went on there while she and her husband were alive. I have only heard the German version, but the audio guide is also available in English, French, Italian and Japanese.
These narrations are very nicely done, I must admit, but if you are as impatient as I am you might find some of them a bit long-winded. In this case just push the STOP button on the audio guide, go on to the next room and type in the number of the recording for that room.
Reproductions of paintings by Dürer
If you intend to go to more than one museum in Nürnberg on the same day, by all means ask about a combination ticket. Often it is possible to visit two or more museums for the price of one.
World map in the Dürer House
My photos in this post are from 2005. I revised the text in 2022.
See more posts on Nürnberg, Germany.
I think I have a photo of the outside of his house that my parents took c 1962. It wasn’t so aggressively half timbered then. I don’t think they went inside. My sister was living in Nuremburg then. ‘
As for mixing paints – you do what you have to do. 🙂
In the early 20th century, lots of half-timbered houses were plastered over, to make them look more modern. Perhaps this was also the case with the Dürer House.
If you enjoy Dürer, next time you’re in Reims, the Musée-Hôtel Le Vergeur has a complete and original series of engravings of The Apocalypse and The Great Passion of Albrecht Dürer. The building and tour is very nice, but the engravings are just wonderful. I suspect this would be a good day trip from Paris on the train too although we enjoy staying in Reims.
Thanks, Sally. I’ll add this to my list. I had a very enjoyable stay in Reims in 2013, and have been meaning to return.
I adored that museum. He’s been a favorite painter since I was in elementary school!
All the comments above make me realise how far away is Australia from Europe; in miles, in money, in time.
I’ve only passed in front of Dürer’s house during my time in Nuremburg: while I found its half-timbered exterior very admirable, it’s unfortunate I didn’t go inside. Very extensive collection of art in there, that’s for sure! I’ll have to return to Nuremburg to actually step foot indoors sometime!
Yes, it’s an interesting place, but the artworks are reproductions, not originals.
I just passed by – in 1997. 😉
It certainly looks interesting but like you I do sometimes find audio guides tell you too much! Not only does it make the exhibition drag a bit, you also find yourself stuck behind people intently listening to every word rather than moving on to the next point!
As always, I’m especially intrigued by that world map. Do you know when it dates from – is it contemporaneous with Dürer?
Unfortunately I didn’t note down when the map was from or who made it. Nowadays I would just snap a photo of the label, but I don’t seem to have done so in this case.
This is my first time hearing of this artist and I am fascinated. More research required on my part I think! I might regret asking, but can’t resist…what went into the paints?
A long list of things including excrement — from their dogs, I believe.