Self-Portrait (or Self-Portrait at Twenty-Eight) is a panel painting by the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. Painted early in 1500, just before his 29th birthday, it is the last of his three painted self-portraits. Art historians consider it the most personal, iconic and complex of his self-portraits.[1]
The self-portrait is most remarkable because of its resemblance to many earlier representations of Christ. Art historians note the similarities with the conventions of religious painting, including its symmetry, dark tones and the manner in which the artist directly confronts the viewer and raises his hands to the middle of his chest as if in the act of blessing.
Self-portrait with a pillow, drawing of 1491–92. This study for the Portrait of the Artist Holding a Thistle, was executed on the reverse of that canvas. Note the similarity in the position of the artist's fingers.[2]
Dürer's face has the inflexibility and impersonal dignity of a mask, hiding the restless turmoil of anguish and passion within.[3] In its directness and apparent confrontation with the viewer, the self-portrait is unlike any that came before. It is half-length, frontal and highly symmetrical; its lack of a conventional background seemingly presents Dürer without regard to time or place. The placement of the inscriptions in the dark fields on either side of Dürer are presented as if floating in space, emphasizing that the portrait has a highly symbolic meaning. Its sombre mood is achieved through the use of brown tones set against the plain black background. The lightness of touch and tone seen in his earlier two self-portraits has been replaced by a far more introverted and complex representation.[3]
In 1500, a frontal pose was exceptional for a secular portrait. In Italy the conventional fashion for profile portraits was coming to an end, but being replaced with the three-quarters view which had been the accepted pose in Northern Europe since about 1420, and which Dürer used in his earlier self-portraits. Fully frontal poses remained unusual, although Hans Holbein painted several of Henry VIII of England and his queens, perhaps under instruction to use the pose.[4] Late medieval and Early Renaissance art had developed the more difficult three-quarters view, and artists were proud of their skill in using it; to viewers in 1500 and after, a frontal pose was associated with images from medieval religious art, and mostly above all images of Christ.
The self-portrait is of a markedly more mature Dürer than both the 1493 Strasbourg self-portrait and the 1498 self-portrait which he produced after his first visit to Italy; in both of these earlier paintings he had highlighted his fashionable hairstyle and clothing and played on his youthful good looks. Dürer turned 28 around 1500, the time of this work. In the medieval view of the stages of life, 28 marked the transition from youth to maturity.[5] The portrait therefore commemorates a turning point in the artist's life and in the millennium: the year 1500, displayed in the centre of the upper left background field, is here celebrated as epochal. Moreover, the placing of the year 1500 above his signature initials, A.D., gives them an added meaning as an abbreviation of Anno Domini. The painting may have been created as part of a celebration of the saeculum by the circle of the Renaissance humanist scholar Conrad Celtes,[6] which included Dürer.
Iconography
Blessing Christ by Hans Memling, late 15th century
Dürer deliberately portrays himself in a manner that invokes depictions of Christ.[7] Dürer likely believed that any Christian could be portrayed as imitating Christ.[7] The Latin inscription, composed by Celtes' personal secretary,[8] translates as: "I, Albrecht Dürer of Nuremberg portrayed myself in appropriate [or everlasting] colours aged twenty-eight years". A further interpretation holds that the work is an acknowledgement that his artistic talents are God-given.[1][7] Art historian Joseph Koerner wrote that "to seeing the frontal likeness and inward curved left hand as echoes of, respectively, the "A" and nestled "D" of the monogram featured at the right ... nothing we see in a Dürer is not Dürer's, monogram or not."[9]
Late Northern medieval painting often portrayed Christ looking directly at the viewer, especially when shown as Salvator Mundi. Typically he was shown with a short beard, moustache and brown parted hair. Dürer has rendered himself in this manner, and gives himself brown hair, despite his other self-portraits showing his hair as reddish-blond.[1][10] The painting so closely follows the conventions of late medieval religious art that it was used as the basis for depictions of Christ in a woodcut by Sebald Beham of c. 1520. This was perhaps intended to be passed off as a print by Dürer from the start, and in later printings bears a very large Dürer monogram, though this appears to have been added to the block several decades later; it was accepted by most experts as a Dürer until the 19th century.[11] In the next century, the face was used for Christ again, in a Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery of 1637 by Johann Georg Vischer.[12]
Dürer presents himself in similar poses and expressions in both his 1498 Christ as Man of Sorrows and 1503 charcoal drawing Head of the Dead Christ. Both are believed to be self-portraits, although they are not named as such. However, artist historians believe that since they bear remarkable similarities to his known self-portraits – including prominent eyes, a narrow mouth with a full upper lip, and the shape of both the nose and indent between lip and nose – that Dürer intended to represent himself in these works.[13]
Provenance
Inscription from the right mid ground
The portrait was likely donated or sold by Dürer to the Nuremberg city council. It was probably on continuous public display in Nuremberg from just before Dürer's death in 1528 until 1805, when it was sold to the Bavarian royal collection.[14] It is now in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany. Nuremberg had had a copy made a few years earlier, which replaced the original on display in the City Hall.[citation needed]
Dürer was highly conscious of his self-image, and painted two earlier self-portraits: one in 1493 now in the Musée du Louvre, and another in 1498, now in the Museo del Prado. He also inserted self-portraits in other paintings, and made self-portrait drawings, although, he did not portray himself in any of his prints.[15] At least twelve self-portrait images survive, as well as the lost gouache Dürer sent to Raphael c 1515.[16]
^What may have been intended as one at the end of his life was made as a woodcut by another artist, Erhard Schön. Strauss speculates that Dürer made the drawing and his widow passed it to Schön to cut. See Strauss, 220–223
Schmidt, Sebastian. »dan sӳ machten dy vürtrefflichen künstner reich«. Zur ursprünglichen Bestimmung von Albrecht Dürers Selbstbildnis im Pelzrock, in Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums, 2010, 65–82.
Shiner, Larry. The Invention of Art: A Cultural History. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2003. ISBN0-226-75343-3
Strauss, Walter L. The Complete Engravings, Etchings and Drypoints of Albrecht Dürer. Dover Books, New York, 1972.
von Fricks, Julian. "Albrecht Dürer the Elder with a Rosary". In: Van Eyck to Durer. Borchert, Till-Holger (ed). London: Thames & Hudson, 2011. ISBN978-0-500-23883-7
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Self-Portrait (Dürer, Munich).
August 24, 2023
self, portrait, dürer, munich, self, portrait, self, portrait, twenty, eight, panel, painting, german, renaissance, artist, albrecht, dürer, painted, early, 1500, just, before, 29th, birthday, last, three, painted, self, portraits, historians, consider, most, . Self Portrait or Self Portrait at Twenty Eight is a panel painting by the German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer Painted early in 1500 just before his 29th birthday it is the last of his three painted self portraits Art historians consider it the most personal iconic and complex of his self portraits 1 Self PortraitArtistAlbrecht DurerYear1500MediumOil on panelDimensions67 1 cm 48 9 cm 26 4 in 19 3 in LocationAlte Pinakothek MunichThe self portrait is most remarkable because of its resemblance to many earlier representations of Christ Art historians note the similarities with the conventions of religious painting including its symmetry dark tones and the manner in which the artist directly confronts the viewer and raises his hands to the middle of his chest as if in the act of blessing Contents 1 Description 2 Iconography 3 Provenance 4 Gallery 5 See also 6 References 6 1 Sources 7 External linksDescription Edit Self portrait with a pillow drawing of 1491 92 This study for the Portrait of the Artist Holding a Thistle was executed on the reverse of that canvas Note the similarity in the position of the artist s fingers 2 Durer s face has the inflexibility and impersonal dignity of a mask hiding the restless turmoil of anguish and passion within 3 In its directness and apparent confrontation with the viewer the self portrait is unlike any that came before It is half length frontal and highly symmetrical its lack of a conventional background seemingly presents Durer without regard to time or place The placement of the inscriptions in the dark fields on either side of Durer are presented as if floating in space emphasizing that the portrait has a highly symbolic meaning Its sombre mood is achieved through the use of brown tones set against the plain black background The lightness of touch and tone seen in his earlier two self portraits has been replaced by a far more introverted and complex representation 3 In 1500 a frontal pose was exceptional for a secular portrait In Italy the conventional fashion for profile portraits was coming to an end but being replaced with the three quarters view which had been the accepted pose in Northern Europe since about 1420 and which Durer used in his earlier self portraits Fully frontal poses remained unusual although Hans Holbein painted several of Henry VIII of England and his queens perhaps under instruction to use the pose 4 Late medieval and Early Renaissance art had developed the more difficult three quarters view and artists were proud of their skill in using it to viewers in 1500 and after a frontal pose was associated with images from medieval religious art and mostly above all images of Christ The self portrait is of a markedly more mature Durer than both the 1493 Strasbourg self portrait and the 1498 self portrait which he produced after his first visit to Italy in both of these earlier paintings he had highlighted his fashionable hairstyle and clothing and played on his youthful good looks Durer turned 28 around 1500 the time of this work In the medieval view of the stages of life 28 marked the transition from youth to maturity 5 The portrait therefore commemorates a turning point in the artist s life and in the millennium the year 1500 displayed in the centre of the upper left background field is here celebrated as epochal Moreover the placing of the year 1500 above his signature initials A D gives them an added meaning as an abbreviation of Anno Domini The painting may have been created as part of a celebration of the saeculum by the circle of the Renaissance humanist scholar Conrad Celtes 6 which included Durer Iconography Edit Blessing Christ by Hans Memling late 15th centuryDurer deliberately portrays himself in a manner that invokes depictions of Christ 7 Durer likely believed that any Christian could be portrayed as imitating Christ 7 The Latin inscription composed by Celtes personal secretary 8 translates as I Albrecht Durer of Nuremberg portrayed myself in appropriate or everlasting colours aged twenty eight years A further interpretation holds that the work is an acknowledgement that his artistic talents are God given 1 7 Art historian Joseph Koerner wrote that to seeing the frontal likeness and inward curved left hand as echoes of respectively the A and nestled D of the monogram featured at the right nothing we see in a Durer is not Durer s monogram or not 9 Late Northern medieval painting often portrayed Christ looking directly at the viewer especially when shown as Salvator Mundi Typically he was shown with a short beard moustache and brown parted hair Durer has rendered himself in this manner and gives himself brown hair despite his other self portraits showing his hair as reddish blond 1 10 The painting so closely follows the conventions of late medieval religious art that it was used as the basis for depictions of Christ in a woodcut by Sebald Beham of c 1520 This was perhaps intended to be passed off as a print by Durer from the start and in later printings bears a very large Durer monogram though this appears to have been added to the block several decades later it was accepted by most experts as a Durer until the 19th century 11 In the next century the face was used for Christ again in a Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery of 1637 by Johann Georg Vischer 12 Durer presents himself in similar poses and expressions in both his 1498 Christ as Man of Sorrows and 1503 charcoal drawing Head of the Dead Christ Both are believed to be self portraits although they are not named as such However artist historians believe that since they bear remarkable similarities to his known self portraits including prominent eyes a narrow mouth with a full upper lip and the shape of both the nose and indent between lip and nose that Durer intended to represent himself in these works 13 Provenance Edit Inscription from the right mid groundThe portrait was likely donated or sold by Durer to the Nuremberg city council It was probably on continuous public display in Nuremberg from just before Durer s death in 1528 until 1805 when it was sold to the Bavarian royal collection 14 It is now in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich Germany Nuremberg had had a copy made a few years earlier which replaced the original on display in the City Hall citation needed Durer was highly conscious of his self image and painted two earlier self portraits one in 1493 now in the Musee du Louvre and another in 1498 now in the Museo del Prado He also inserted self portraits in other paintings and made self portrait drawings although he did not portray himself in any of his prints 15 At least twelve self portrait images survive as well as the lost gouache Durer sent to Raphael c 1515 16 Gallery Edit Self Portrait at the Age of 13 1484 Silver point drawing Vienna Portrait of the Artist Holding a Thistle 1493 Musee du Louvre Self portrait at 26 1498 Museo del PradoSee also EditList of paintings by Albrecht DurerReferences Edit a b c Bailey 68 Bailey 38 a b Brion 170 Campbell 81 86 Koerner 65 Koerner 39 a b c Russell Francis 1967 The World of Durer 1471 1528 et al Time Life Books p 89 Hutchison 3 In an essay in Bartrum 27 Hence the title Self Portrait in a Wig sometimes given to the work Bartrum 82 83 image Bartrum 78 Smith 34 Bartrum 41 78 What may have been intended as one at the end of his life was made as a woodcut by another artist Erhard Schon Strauss speculates that Durer made the drawing and his widow passed it to Schon to cut See Strauss 220 223 Bartrum 77 Sources Edit Bailey Martin Durer London Phaidon Press 1995 ISBN 0 7148 3334 7 Bartrum Giulia Albrecht Durer and his Legacy London British Museum Press 2002 ISBN 0 7141 2633 0 Brion Marcel Durer London Thames and Hudson 1960 Campbell Lorne Renaissance Portraits European Portrait Painting in the 14th 15th and 16th Centuries Yale 1990 ISBN 0 300 04675 8 Hutchison Jane Campbell Albrecht Durer A Guide to Research New York Garland 2000 ISBN 0 8153 2114 7 Koerner Joseph Leo The Moment of Self Portraiture in German Renaissance Art University of Chicago Press 1996 ISBN 0 226 44999 8 Schmidt Sebastian dan sӳ machten dy vurtrefflichen kunstner reich Zur ursprunglichen Bestimmung von Albrecht Durers Selbstbildnis im Pelzrock in Anzeiger des Germanischen Nationalmuseums 2010 65 82 Shiner Larry The Invention of Art A Cultural History Chicago Chicago University Press 2003 ISBN 0 226 75343 3 Smith Robert Durer as Christ in The Sixteenth Century Journal Volume 6 No 2 October 1975 26 36 JSTOR 2539742 Strauss Walter L The Complete Engravings Etchings and Drypoints of Albrecht Durer Dover Books New York 1972 von Fricks Julian Albrecht Durer the Elder with a Rosary In Van Eyck to Durer Borchert Till Holger ed London Thames amp Hudson 2011 ISBN 978 0 500 23883 7External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Self Portrait Durer Munich Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Self Portrait Durer Munich amp oldid 1153952589, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
