Graveyard of S. Johannis

This 1489 view of the Graveyard of St. Johannis in Nuremberg is one of Dürer's earliest works, depicting the cemetery where his family would eventually be buried. The topographical precision demonstrates the young artist's commitment to direct observation of his immediate environment Albrecht Dürer brought Italian Renaissance ideas north, combining German Gothic tradition with classical proportions to become the dominant artist in the German-speaking world.

The cemetery is rendered with documentary accuracy, each grave marker and tree individually described. The watercolor-like clarity and precise spatial organization demonstrate Dürer's precocious skill in landscape observation.