Albrecht Dürer is probably the most famous German artist of the
Renaissance, if not of all time. His works are world-famous and he was a
master in numerous artistic disciplines such as woodcut, copperplate
engraving, drawing and painting.
What is less well known is that he was interested in weapons and fencing
throughout his life. He produced several woodcuts for a tournament book
by Emperor Maximilian I, but he devoted himself much more thoroughly to
the subject of duels in his own extensive fencing manuscript.
Dürer's fight book stands out from the mass of illustrated fencing
manuscripts because of its outstanding quality. In well over 100
elaborate drawings, the master uniquely depicts dynamic pairs of
fighters practicing contemporary combat techniques, such as wrestling or
sword and dagger fighting.
Since its creation more than 500 years ago, the fight book has never
been published in its entirety. This edition offers the complete
contents of the manuscript for the very first time: All illustrations
are reproduced in color and the complete text is presented in a
letter-perfect transcription as well as a translation into modern
English.
Albrecht Dürer's fight book offers a unique, new look at Dürer the
artist and Dürer the fighter.