Courtyard of the Former Castle in Innsbruck with Clouds 1494

Albrecht Durer captured this view of the Innsbruck castle courtyard in a watercolor. It is an intriguing image, suggesting a shift in the public role of art, away from religious and historical subjects and towards more secular themes. The castle would have been a political institution, a center of power. The architecture conveys a sense of order and hierarchy, reflecting the social structure of the time in Northern Europe. By focusing on the castle courtyard, rather than the castle residents, Durer emphasizes the physical space and its imposing architecture, almost like a stage waiting for its players to appear. The unsettled sky, however, suggests some turbulence in this seemingly well-ordered society. Art historians consult a range of sources when interpreting such works – from architectural surveys to social histories, to consider how the buildings and the art relate to the society that produced them.