Portrait of St Sebastian with an Arrow

Dating to 1499, the portrait demonstrates the portrait tradition that Albrecht Dürer helped define. Painted during the flourishing of the Early Renaissance, the work balances individual likeness with the idealized presentation expected by fifteenth-century patrons Albrecht Dürer brought Italian Renaissance ideas north, combining German Gothic tradition with classical proportions to become the dominant artist in the German-speaking world Portraiture flourished during the Renaissance as humanism

Oil on canvas, the portrait demonstrates Albrecht Dürer's command of scientific observation and meticulous detail. The careful modeling of the face reveals close study of the sitter's physiognomy, while the treatment of costume and setting projects appropriate social standing.