Cathedrals II

Serie: Large Format Artworks

Technique: Latex on canvas

Size: 190 x 290 cm

Year: 2007

Interior of Nüremberg Cathedral and “Praying Hands” by Albrecht Durer

In the 15th century, in a small village near Nüremberg, lived a family with several children. In order to put bread on the table for everyone, the father worked almost 18 hours a day in the coal mines, and in whatever else came his way.

Two of his sons had a dream: they wanted to dedicate themselves to painting, but they knew that their father would never be able to send any of them to study at the Academy.

After many nights of conversations, the two brothers reached an agreement. They would toss a coin into the air, and the loser would work in the mines to pay for the winner's studies.

Upon completion of their studies, the winner would then pay the studies to the one who stayed at home with the sales of their works. Thus, the two brothers could be artists.

They tossed the coin into the air one Sunday as they left the church. One of them, named Albrecht Durer, won and went to study in Nuremberg.

Then the other brother, Albert, began the dangerous work in the mines, where he remained for the next four years to pay for his brother's studies, who from the first moment was a sensation at the Academy.

Albrecht's prints, carvings, and oil paintings became far better than those of many of his professors, and by the time of his graduation, he had already begun to earn considerable sums from the sales of his art.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family gathered for a festive dinner in his honor.

At the end of the memorable evening, Albrecht stood in his place of honor at the table, and proposed a toast to his beloved brother, who had sacrificed so much working in the mines to make his studies a reality. And said:

«Now, my brother Albert, it is your turn. Now you can go to Nüremberg to pursue your dreams, I will take care of all your expenses».

All eyes turned expectantly to Albert's corner of the table. But the latter, his face wet with tears, stood up and said softly:

«No, brother, I can't go to Nuremberg. Is too late for me. These four years working in the mines have destroyed my hands.
Every bone in my fingers has been broken at least once, and the arthritis in my right hand has advanced so far that it cost me even I work to raise the glass during your toast.
I could not work with delicate lines the compass or the parchment, and I could not handle the pen or the brush.
No, brother, it's too late for me. But I'm happy that my deformed hands have served so that yours have now fulfilled their dream ».

More than 450 years have passed since that day. To pay tribute to the sacrifice of his brother Albert, Albrecht Durer drew his brother's battered hands, palms joined and fingers pointing to the sky.

He called this powerful work simply "Hands," but the whole world changed the name of the work to "Praying Hands."