“Burkhard of Speyer” is a portrait created by the artist Albrecht Dürer in 1506. This artwork is an oil painting on a panel and measures 31.7 x 26 cm. It exemplifies the Northern Renaissance art movement and is part of the collection at the Royal Collection in Buckingham Palace, London, United Kingdom. The portrait depicts a male figure.
The portrait showcases a man directly facing the viewer with a neutral expression. His features are finely detailed, consistent with the Northern Renaissance’s focus on realism and meticulous representation. His complexion appears pale, and his face is framed by shoulder-length reddish-brown hair. The subject is wearing a black hat, which was a common headwear piece during that era. His clothing is dark, with a hint of red and white visible at the neckline, suggesting a garment underneath. The background is stark, plain black, which serves to emphasize the figure’s visage and attire. The man’s gaze is particularly striking, giving an impression of a direct and perhaps introspective engagement with the viewer. Albrecht Dürer’s mastery in painterly techniques is evident in the fine rendering of light, shadow, and texture, which convey a sense of three-dimensionality and physical presence within the constraints of a two-dimensional portrait. The artist’s signature and the painting’s date are inscribed near the top of the canvas.
