Innsbruck

This photograph provides a zoomed-in look at the Gothic city of Innsbruck, as seen through the eyes of Nothern Renaissance master, Albrecht Durer

The artist famously produced several watercolours during his time here, capturing the beauty of the location's architecture and also the surrounding waters.

The process to produce these paintings may have invvolved several sketches outdoor before returning to a studio in order to complete the watercolour elements. Plein air painting was much less common during the Renaissance than it was later with Claude Monet and other impressionists.

Durer would often use mixed media in order to get just the right finish that he was after. For example, watercolours are not always ideal for precise details such as elements of a building. He would, therefore, use pen or other mediums to finish off a scene once the watercolours have dried. This would help to draw out areas of the composition to the viewer.

Nature was clearly a passion of Durer, who included portraits of insects, animals, birds and people in his career. He would find and depict beauty in pretty much anything, even including Stag Beetles. He would also provide a charming scene of an owl, when this creature was normally used to symbolise the dangers of the night.

Durer went into the city itself and painted two scenes from opposing corners of a courtyard which beautifully capture the essence of Gothic architecture.