Albrecht Dürer - Self-Portrait

This is a self-portrait of the artist Albrecht Dürer, created in the early 1500’s.  Dürer previously painted two other self-portraits, found here and here.  The third seen above, created just before his 29^th birthday with oil on wood panel, (26.25” x 19.25”) is considered the most profound and iconic self- portrait of its time.  The book The Moment of Self-Portraiture in German Renaissance Art suggests this this painting was most likely sold to the Nuremberg City Council and was publicly displayed from 1528 to 1805.  It was then sold to the Bavarian Royal collection and currently resides in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich, Germany.

The most profound and iconic idea behind this self-portrait is Albrecht Dürer portrays himself to resemble to Jesus Christ. Although the idea of being like Christ has been seen in the past the depiction of it was never represented as a self-portrait until this painting.  Fortunately for Dürer this painting was not considered a “gesture of arrogance or blasphemy”, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, but was seen as a statement of Dürer’s faith to  try to imitate or be like the image god.

Sources:

http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=CVWEqfKxcwsC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Albrecht+D%C3%BCrer+%2B+self+portrait&ots=V6qn1vDGJ3&sig=S-wnFEZ_T4A6xQ_Y9uTf69DzL3M#v=onepage&q=Albrecht%20D%C3%BCrer%20%2B%20self%20portrait&f=false

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/174214/Albrecht-Durer

http://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/d/durer/1/03/1self28.html