View of Kalchreut 1511

Albrecht Durer made this watercolor painting of Kalchreut sometime in the late 15th or early 16th century. It depicts the rooftops of a small German village, a landscape of rolling hills, and an imposing tree in the foreground. Durer's work marks an interesting moment in the history of art. In his time, the institutions of art were changing, with artists gaining status and exploring new ways of depicting the world. Consider the context of the Reformation, a religious and political upheaval, that challenged the status quo in Europe. Durer, who was based in Nuremberg, lived right in the middle of it. He was interested in depicting the real world, and was inspired by the rise of the natural sciences. You can research this painting further by looking into Nuremberg's role in the Reformation, the history of watercolor painting, and the rise of landscape art. This will give you more context to the artwork and help you consider its deeper meaning.