The local painter Michael Wolgemut, produced woodcut illustrations in a shop not too far from Dürer's father shop, where Dürer picked up his love to engravings. This influenced Dürer revolutionary printmaking, elevated it to a level that became widely consider as an art form. He expanded the variety of drama, and introduced images with new conceptions of the foundation of the previous forms. Around the age of thirty historians believe he had started or completed three of his most famous works of art all being of the new style of woodcutting that he had made so popular in later time periods. All of the three woodcuts where religious subjects such as: The Apocalypse (1498 A.D), The Large Woodcut passion cycle (ca 1497-1500) and The Life of the Virgin (began 1500). He also produced independent prints such as the engraving Adam and Eve (1503 A.D). There were also many small self-contained works of art like Master Engravings featuring Knight, Death and the Devil (1513 A.D), Saint Jerome in His Study (1514 A.D.), and Melancholia I (1514 A.D.). It is believed these works where made rather for individual's connoisseurs than the popular devotion. The virtuosity, intellectual scope, and psychological depth of these particular images where unmatched by any of his earlier works.
I began to feel as if Dürer envied is southern European counterparts, he engaged in the artistic practices and theoretical interests of Italy. He took many visits there during the production of some of his more famous pieces. He observed first hand many of the great works of the Italian Renaissance, and also lingered on most of the classical heritage and theoretical writings of the religion. Some of the Italian influence is clearly visible in works such as Feast of Rose Garlands (1506 A.D. Prague) an altarpiece, which is not command to the region Dürer came from; living in Venice was commissioned by the German colony of merchants.
