450e anniversary of the death of Albert Dürer (1471-1528), 1978

Albert Dürer, perhaps the greatest German artist of the Renaissance era, began his career in the Imperial Free City of Nuernberg with his father, a Hungarian goldsmith who had immigrated to Germany in 1455. Despite his goldsmith origins, however, by 1484 Albert Dürer had already begun painting. In 1486 he was apprenticed to the painter and printmaker Michael Wolgumut and began to work with woodcuts and copper engravings as well. In his lifetime he enjoyed the benefits of an immense reputation, especially as engraver: His prints were copied in all Europe. The copperplate engraving and the wood engraving were recent techniques. He carried the former at a level of perfection never reached since then and raised the later to the level of a major art. Until there it was looked as a work used to illustrate only books.

First Day Covers (FDC):

Note: Blanco or airmail envelopes are not shown here but do exist.

FDC Block 29 perforated

FDC block 29 imperforated: Not known to exist

FDC with no 940: Not known to exist