This collection attempts to set preeminent German Renaissance artist Albrecht DÜrer (1471-1528) in the cultural context of the early sixteenth century. It offers analyses of and suggests relationships between DÜrer's work and aspects of his culture that have not received much attention in previous scholarship. These include views of nature and attitudes to collecting, patriotism and morality, witchcraft and the rituals of courtship, the power of visual images and the role of censorship.