German artist Albrecht Dürer’s pen and ink drawing, ‘Praying Hands’, is one of the best-known works of art in the world. Two brothers wanted to study art. To decide who would get the first opportunity, they tossed a coin. Albrecht studied art while his brother worked in the mines to support him. After four years, when Albrecht returned to his village, he saw his brother’s gnarled, work-ruined hands. These were the hands that had supported him, but they could no longer hold a paintbrush. Albrecht was so moved that he sketched his brother’s hands, the “Praying Hands”, in thanks for his self-sacrifice. In this program, we follow in the footsteps of Albrecht Dürer into the world of the Renaissance and reflect on his masterpiece and the importance of prayer.
