The Great Piece of Turf, 1503

One of my long time favourites as far as artists is concerned has been Albrecht Duerer. He was born in Nuremburg (Nuernburg) on May 21, 1471 and died on April 6, 1528. His father, a goldsmith, came from the Hungarian town of Ajtosi. The name Duerer is taken from the Hungarian town's name. Ajtos means "door" in Hungarian. When Albrecht Duerer the Elder came to Nuremburg, he used the name "Thuerer" which means "Thuermacher" or "doormaker" in German.

Amongst the many paintings Duerer (the younger) was known for, "the Great Piece of Turf" or "Das Grosse Rasenstueck" in German, was one of them. This piece was painted in watercolour and opaque in 1503 at a time when no one had painted anything as insignificant as a piece of turf complete with grasses, dandelion, pimpernel and plantain. This was entirely new in art at this time. The 41 x 31.5 cm work is to be found in the Graphische Sammlung Albertina in Vienna, Austria.

Duerer was a painter, graphic artist, mathematician and art theorist at a great time in the flowering of modern Europe. This renaisance brought an end to the dark ages and brought forth a new age of enlightenment. Something to remember! - Volker

Pigeon

Last weekend (Sunday) while in Stanley Park in Vancouver I saw this pigeon. It was the unusual colouration in the feathers that caught my eye. This bird was spotted along a pathway near Lost Lagoon. - Volker

View of the Fraser River

Here is a view of the Fraser River looking east at Sapperton (New Westminster), British Columbia. This photo was taken recently (last week actually). The Fraser Cemetary is in the foreground with the Cascade mountains in the background. There are cherry trees and a lot of other colour in bloom everywhere. - Volker