by Albrecht Dürer, 1500
Albrecht Dürer painted this notable self-portrait in 1500, depicting himself at age 28 in a strikingly Christ-like pose. He faces the viewer directly, his right hand raised near his chest, with long curling hair framing his solemn face. The painting hangs at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich.
This frontal composition was extremely unusual for portraiture of the time and was typically reserved for images of Christ. Dürer's choice suggests not blasphemy but rather the Renaissance belief that artistic creativity reflected divine creativity. The detailed rendering of his fur collar and each strand of hair demonstrates the technical mastery that made Dürer the most famous artist of the Northern Renaissance.
Other masterpieces from the Northern Renaissance movement

Jan van Eyck, 1436
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Jan van Eyck, 1434
National Gallery, London

Hugo van der Goes, 1475
Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Florence

Jan van Eyck, 1432
Saint Bavo's Cathedral, Ghent

Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1526
Museo del Prado, Madrid, Madrid
Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent, Ghent

Jan van Eyck
Sabauda Gallery, Turin, Turin
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