Portrait of Willibald Pirckheimer

Executed in 1562, this portrait exemplifies the conventions of sixteenth-century portraiture during the later Renaissance period. Albrecht Dürer, the supreme genius of the Northern Renaissance who bridged medieval and modern art, brings brilliant draftsmanship to the depiction of the sitter. Oil on canvas — by the sixteenth century the dominant medium for ambitious works — allowed successive glazes of transparent color and freedom to rework the composition.

Executed in Oil on canvas, the work showcases Albrecht Dürer's innovative printmaking, with particular attention to the interplay of light across the sitter's features. The handling of drapery and accessories demonstrates the technical refinement expected of formal portraiture.