PETER VISCHER 
The days were near at hand when this proud, 
free city of the Empire, this trading staple of the 
German world, was to win the still nobler title of 
“Albert Diirer’'s and Hans Sachs’ City.” For 
he merchant princes of the place, the Patricians 
as they called themselves, whilst they grew in 
wealth and power, waxed also in enthusiasm for 
‘he sciences and arts. They strove to make their 
town a German Florence, and by their lavish ex- 
penditure upon the adornment of public and private 
buildings, both attracted foreign genius and en- 
couraged native talent. Regiomontanus on the 
one hand, the great mathematician, chose Nurem- 
berg for his place of residence because he found 
there all the peculiar instruments necessary for 
astronomy, and because the “ perpetual journey- 
ings of her merchants” enabled him to keep in 
touch with the learned of all countries. These 
perpetual journeyings of the merchant princes and 
great explorers, like Behaim, reacted also upon 
the artists of the town; they contributed to give 
them a wider outlook upon life, and brought within 
their reach the wonderful works of Italy. 
The broad culture of a Pirkheimer exercised 
anundoubted influence upon the many-sided genius 
of Diirer, whilst the liberal atmosphere engen- 
dered by travel made the citizens of Nuremberg 
ready to welcome in their midst foreign artists 
like the elder Diirer, the elder Vischer and Veit 
Stoss, and rendered the local artists themselves 
susceptible to the excellence of foreign art. Not