Formative years, first Italian journey; paintings until 1496

In November 1486, at the age of 15, Dürer was apprenticed to the painter Michael Wolgemut. Although Wolgemut would later be overshadowed by his talented pupil, he was then Nuremberg's leading artist. Wolgemut was a successful entrepreneur, handling a broad range of artistic work, such as painting altarpieces and portraits, designing stained glass and producing woodcut prints. Dürer remained as an apprentice with Wolgemut for three years, learning the basic skills.

In 1490, after his painter's apprenticeship in Michael Wolgemut's workshop ended, Dürer left on four years of travels as a journeyman to work for different masters, and immediately before departing painted the two portraits of his parents which were originally connected in the manner of a diptych and were separated after 1588. From his stay at Strasbourg two oil paintings survive, his first painted self-portrait and a devotional panel of Christ as the Man of Sorrows.

Returning to Nuremberg Dürer set up his workshop. His first paatron was Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony, who commissioned his portrait and two altarpieces for the church at his palace at Wittenberg. Of the first altarpiece, devoted to the Life of the Virgin, only the left half depicting the Seven Sorrows survives. The second altarpiece is the triptych of the Virgin between St Anthony the Hermit and St Sebastian.

In 1494 Dürer made his first Italian journey and spent the winter in Venice. Italian art was to have a strong influence on Dürer's own work, particularly in paintings such as the Virgin and Child before an Archway.