turn to
Nuremburg, that it is not possible to give an exact account of them here.
In 1500 an event occurred which added much to his happiness and to his
opportunities for enlarging his influence. It was the return to Nuremburg
of Willibald Pirkheimer, one of the friends of Duerer's childhood, between
whom and himself there had always existed a strong affection. Pirkheimer
was rich and influential, and at his house Duerer saw many eminent men,
artists, scholars, reformers, and theologians, and in their society he
gained much broader knowledge of the world, while he received the respect
which was due to his genius and character.

[Illustration: FIG. 62.--A SCENE FROM DUERER'S WOOD ENGRAVINGS OF THE
LIFE OF THE VIRGIN MARY.]

Duerer's health was not good, and his continual work proved more than he
could bear. His father died in 1502, and this loss was a deep grief to the
artist. So little money was left for his mother and younger brother that
their support came upon him. At length, in 1505, he made a journey to
Venice, partly for his health, and in order to study Venetian painting. He
was well received by the painters of Venice. Giovanni Bellini and
Carpaccio were the leading painters of that time. They were both quite
old, but Giorgione and Titian were already coming into notice and
preparing to fill the places of the older men. Bellini was especially
delighted with the exquisite manner in which Duerer painted hair, and asked
the German to give him the brush he used for that purpose. Duerer gave him
all his brushes, but Bellini insisted upon having _the one_ for painting
hair. Duerer took a common brush, and painted a long tress of fine hair:
Bellini declared that had he not seen this done he could not have believed
it.

While in Venice Duerer received an order to paint a picture for the Fondaco
de' Tedeschi, or German Exchange. It is believed that this work was the
famous "Feast of Rose Garlands," now in the Monastery at Strahow, in
Bohemia. The Emperor Rudolph II. bought it, and had it carried from Venice
to Prague on men's shoulders. In 1782 it was purchased for the Abbey of
Strahow, and was almost lost to the world for many years. It is a
beautiful picture, and the praise it received was a great pleasure to
Duerer, because heretofore many painters had said that he was a good
engraver, but could not use colors. Duerer wrote to Pirkheimer: "There is
no better picture of the Virgin Mary in the land, because all the art