Albrecht Durer was a German painter, printmaker, and theorist from the 15th and 16th centuries. He is best known for his woodcuts, which are prints made by carving into a block of wood and then inking the surface. He also created etchings, which are prints made by using acid to ETCH a design into a metal plate. He was an important figure in the development of the German Renaissance and his works are highly regarded today.