The “Portrait of Willibald Pirckheimer” by Albrecht Dürer is a piece from 1503, during the Northern Renaissance period. This artwork is a portrait executed on paper and is part of the collection at the Kupferstichkabinett Berlin in Berlin, Germany.
The portrait depicts Willibald Pirckheimer, a German humanist and scholar, in profile, showcasing Dürer’s skill in capturing the character and presence of his subjects. The drawing is finely detailed, allowing us to see Pirckheimer’s distinct facial features including the lines on his face which convey his age and expression. He wears a hat with a patterned band, suggesting a status of intellectual or societal importance. The year “1503” is noted in the corner of the drawing, and Dürer’s monogram “AD” can be seen close to that date, representing the artist’s signature. The artwork’s high level of detail and naturalism is characteristic of Dürer’s mastery as a draftsperson and is an excellent example of Northern Renaissance portraiture, where individualism and detailed realism were highly valued.
