You are warmly invited to the official opening of the exhibition "In Dürer's Footsteps", held in honor of the 555th anniversary of the birth of the renowned artist Albrecht Dürer. The exhibition opens this Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 6:00 PM at the Regional History Museum of Sofia, 1 Bankski Sq.
The exhibition will be open to visitors until July 21, 2026, and will feature works by 24 artists from DAFNI, inspired by Dürer's work.
I chose to take part with a drawing of the Carpathian lily (Lilium jankae), inspired by the depiction of the martagon lily (Lilium martagon), drawn either by Dürer himself or by one of his followers.
Plant drawings are not the first thing that comes to mind when we think of Dürer, and they are not as widely known - with the exception of "The Great Piece of Turf" from 1503. With this work, Dürer took a revolutionary step toward naturalistic art; art historians often describe it as radical for its time, turning nature from mere background and symbol into an independent artistic subject.
The Great Piece of Turf, 1503, Albrecht Dürer
This is also the only work for which critics unanimously agree on Dürer's authorship. For most of the other botanical drawings attributed to him, authorship remains a matter of debate. You can read more on the subject in the wonderful book "Albrecht Dürer and the Animal and Plant Studies of the Renaissance", which gathers one of the most complete collections of Dürer's animal and plant works, accompanied by in-depth research.
Even with the disputed authorship of the martagon lily (Lilium martagon), this unknown artist certainly followed in Dürer's footsteps. In that same spirit, my own drawing of the Carpathian lily (Lilium jankae) joins the line of his followers, who continue to draw inspiration from his unmatched talent - still relevant 555 years later.
Join us tomorrow as we celebrate the exhibition in tribute to Dürer, presented by the artists of DAFNI!