Memoirs of Journeys to Venice and the Low Countries | Page 6

not know them, one would think that they
were the nicest men on earth. I cannot help laughing to myself when
they talk to me: they know that their villainy is well known, but that
does not bother them.
I have many good friends among the Italians who warn me not to eat
and drink with their painters, for many of them are my enemies and
copy my work in the churches and wherever they can find it; afterwards
they criticize it and claim that it is not done in the antique style and say
it is no good, but Giambellin (Giovanni Bellini) has praised me highly
to many gentlemen. He would willingly have something of mine, and
came himself to me and asked me to do something for him, and said
that he would pay well for it, and everyone tells me what an upright
man he is, so that I am really friendly with him. He is very old and yet
he is the best painter of all.
[Editor's note: The character of Bellini agrees with all we know of him.
Camerarius tells an amusing story of the two artists, to the effect that
Bellini once asked Drer for one of the brushes with which he painted
hairs. Drer produced several quite ordinary brushes and offered them to
Bellini. Bellini replied that he did not mean those, but some brush with
the hairs divided which would enable him to draw a number of fine
parallel lines such as Drer did. Drer assured him that he used no special
kind, and proceeded to draw a number of long wavy lines like tresses
with such absolute regularity and parallelism that Bellini declared that
nothing but seeing it done would have convinced him that such a feat
of skill was possible.]

And the thing which pleased me so well eleven years ago pleases me no
longer, and if I had not seen it myself, I would not have believed
anyone who told me. And you must know too that there are many better
painters here than Master Jacob (Jacopo de Barbari), though Antonio
Kolb would take an oath that there was no better painter on earth than
Jacob. Others sneer at him and say if he were any good, he would stay
here. I have only today begun the sketch of my picture, for my hands
are so scabby that I could not work, but I have cured them.
And now be lenient with me and do not get angry so quickly, but be
gentile like me. You will not learn from me, I do not know why. My
dear, I should like to know whether any of your loves is dead--that one
close by the water, for instance, or the one like [drawing of a flower] or
[drawing of a brush] or [drawing of a running dog]'s girl so that you
might get another in her stead.
Given at Venice at the ninth hour of the night on Saturday after
Candlemas in the year 1506. [Editor's note: Reckoning from sunset, at
this season [this] would be about 2:30 a.m.] Give my service to Stephen
Paumgartner and to Masters Hans Harsdorfer and Volkamer.
--Albrecht Drer

28th February, 1506
First my willing service to you, dear Herr Pirkheimer. If things go well
with you, then I am indeed glad. Know, too, that by the grace of God I
am doing well and working fast. Still I do not expect to have finished
before Whitsuntide. I have sold all my pictures except one. For two I
got 24 ducats, and the other three I gave for these three rings, which
were valued in the exchange as worth 24 ducats, but I have shown them
to some good friends and they say they are only worth 22, and as you
wrote to me to buy you some jewels, I thought that I would send you
the rings by Franz Imhof. Show them to people who understand them,
and if you like them, keep them for what they are worth. In case you do
not want them, send them back by the next messenger, for here at
Venice a man who helped to make the exchange will give me 12 ducats
for the emerald and 10 ducats for the ruby and diamond, so that I need
not lose more than 2 ducats.
I wish you had occasion to come here, I know the time would pass
quickly, for there are so many nice men here, real artists. And I have

such a crowd of foreigners (Italians) about me that I am forced
sometimes to shut myself up, and the gentlemen all wish me well, but
few of the painters.
Dear Master, Andreas Kunhofer sends you his service and means to
write to you by the next