The Inspiration for Albrecht Dürer's Famous Artwork “The Praying Hands”-Fiction!

The Inspiration for Albrecht Dürer’s Famous Artwork “The Praying Hands”-Fiction!

 
Summary of eRumor:
German artist Albrecht Dürer modeled his famous 16th century brush sketch after the suffering hands of his brother, Albert, who supported Albrecht’s early art studies by working in mines.
The Truth:
 
This hoax started as an inspirational fable and has been re-reported as truth in blog posts.
The fictional tale of Albrecht Dürer’s masterpiece was first published in Og Mandino’s book “A Better Way to Live” in 1990.  Mandino did not report the legend of Albert and Albrecht Durer as truth in his book. The story was told to him by a rabbi, and Mandino called it “partially apocryphal but poignant.”
Art historians and forensic experts have also concluded that the hands Dürer sketched aren’t those of a laborer.

“The praying hands in Dürer’s drawing are thin, with elongated fingers and well groomed nails, not calloused from manual work. The forearms are elegantly clothed, with sleeves made of expensive material, obviously the dress of an affluent person,” W.R. Albury and Dr. George Weisz, both professors at the University of New England, said in Hektoen International.

The professors said the hands also show mild aging and no signs of swelling, which would likely result from years of manual labor.

Posted 03/31/14