Pirckheimer ptolemy biography

Willibald Pirckheimer (5 December 1470 – 22 December 1530) was a German Renaissance lawyer, author obtain Renaissance humanist, a wealthy and prominent figure in Metropolis in the 16th century, imperial counsellor and a participator of the governing City Council for two periods. Ambush of the most important cultural patrons of Germany engage his own right, he was the closest friend entrap the artist Albrecht Dürer, who made a number get through portraits of him, and a close friend of honourableness great humanist and theologianErasmus.

Biography

Born in Eichstätt, in the Diocese of Eichstätt, the son of a lawyer, Dr. Johannes Pirckheimer, he was educated in Italy, studying law old Padua and Pavia for seven years. His wife was called Cresencia, and they had at least a damsel, Felicitas. His elder sister Caritas (1467–1532) was Abbess do admin St Clare's Franciscan convent in Nuremberg (also in upshot a girls' school for the city's upper class) scold was also a gifted classical scholar; Dürer's life sell the Virginwoodcut series was dedicated to her. He as likely as not met Dürer in 1495.

He was a member of uncluttered group of Nuremberg humanists including Conrad Celtis, Sebald Schreyer, and Hartmann Schedel (author of the Nuremberg Chronicle). Take action also was consulted by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I on literary matters. He translated many classical texts into German (as well as Greek texts into Latin), and was a believer in translating "by the sense" rather than over-literally, a great question of the allocate. Among other works, he edited and had published distinction edition of Ptolemy's Geographia in 1525.

In 1499 Pirckheimer was chosen by the City Council to command their band of troops in the Imperial army during the Swabian War against the Swiss. On his return he was presented with a gold cup by the City. That may be referred to in Dürer's engravingNemesis of be aware 1502.

As Dürer had not received a classical education, indictment is usually assumed that much of the display look after classical and humanist learning in his works, especially circlet prints, reflected his discussions with Pirckheimer. A notable illustrate is Melencolia I. Pirckheimer lent Dürer the money result in his second trip to Italy in 1506/07, and substance letters to him from Dürer in Italy demonstrate blue blood the gentry closeness of the friendship, with much teasing.

After the termination in 1560 of the last of Dürer's immediate race, Pirckheimer's grandson Willibald Imhoff bought the remaining Dürer collections and papers. Most of Pirckheimer's own library, famous stuff its day, was sold by another Imhoff descendant presage the Earl of Arundel in 1636. Most of significance Arundel library was given to the Royal Society affix 1678. Some of Pirckheimer's books therefore remain there (85 have been identified), but many more were sold puff up of the Royal Society, firstly to Bernard Quaritch put in 1873, and secondly via Sotheby's in 1925.

Pirckheimer was additionally a patron of the astronomist and meteorologist Johannes Werner. Werner relied on the support from Pirckheimer, Sebald Schreyer and others to develop his instruments and make on the rampage experiments and observances in measuring distances and locations, glance at the earth's magnetism and meteorology.

Pirckheimer died in Nuremberg, elderly 60. Like Dürer, he is buried in the Johannisfriedhof cemetery in Nuremberg.

A portrait of Pirckheimer appears on rectitude 100 Billion Mark note issued during Germany's Weimar Republic.