Dürer's self-portraits: description, history of creation and interesting facts

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The titan of the Western European Renaissance, the genius of the Renaissance Albrecht Dürer was one of the brightest stars in the sky of German painting. The greatest artist of the turn of the XV-XVI centuries became famous for his engravings on wood and copper; landscapes made in watercolor and gouache, realistic living portraits. He became the first art theorist in history. Being a diversified person, Albrecht Dürer created not just outstanding works, but intellectual masterpieces. Among them is the engraving "Melancholia" with its magic square.

The brilliant artist became famous for his self-portraits, which contained both skill and the author's unique idea. During his lifetime, Albrecht Dürer created at least 50 such works, but few have survived to this day. What is remarkable about Dürer's self-portraits? Why do they still make enthusiastic admirers of his work tremble?

Self-portraits as a biography of Albrecht Dürer

Biographers say that the masterAlbrecht Dürer was an extremely attractive young man, and the love of self-portraits was partly due to a vain desire to please people. However, this was not their true purpose. Dürer's self-portraits are a reflection of his inner world and views on art, the history of the evolution of intellect and the development of artistic taste. On them you can trace the entire life of the artist. Each of its stages is a new work, strikingly different from the previous one. Durer made the self-portrait a separate genre in the visual arts, and his work as a whole became a living biography of the artist. They can sometimes tell more than any book.

The first self-portrait of the great artist

The first self-portrait of Albrecht Dürer was created in 1484. Then the artist was only thirteen years old, but he already knew how to correctly convey the proportions and perfectly mastered the silver pin. They young Albrecht for the first time deduced the contours of his face. This tool leaves a silvery trail on primed paper. Over time, it acquires a brown tint. It is almost impossible to erase it from the sheet without damaging the soil. Thirteen-year-old Albrecht, however, painted a portrait of them, the creation of which would have caused difficulties even for a seasoned artist of that time.

In the picture, young Durer looks thoughtful and at the same time strict. His gaze is filled with sadness and determination. The hand gesture speaks of an irreconcilable desire to achieve one's goal - to become a great master of one's craft. One day Albrecht's father saw his son's work. The first self-portrait of Dürer strucktalented jeweler. The father always wanted his son to follow in his footsteps, but appreciating the work of Albrecht, he sent him to study at the studio of the artist Michael Wolgemuth. There, young Dürer learned the basics of painting and engraving.

Early pen self-portrait

At the end of the training, each artist, according to the tradition of that time, went on a journey. Traveling, he had to gain experience from masters from distant lands. Albrecht Dürer also followed this path. The self-portrait, written by him during a trip to Europe, was made in a completely different manner. It shows the ability of a young artist to reflect on paper the inner state of a person's soul. This time Dürer used a pen, and his mood was different. In the drawing “Self-portrait with a bandage”, Albrecht’s face is full of torment and undisguised pain. It is covered with wrinkles, which make the image more gloomy. The reason for the torment is not known for certain, but there is no doubt that they took place.

Self-portrait, 1493

Towards the end of Albrecht's wanderings, the news of his imminent marriage overtook. Then, in the 15th century, parents themselves chose a couple for their children. Albrecht's father found a bride from a noble Nuremberg family. The young artist did not object to marrying Agnes Frey. There is a point of view that it was on the occasion of such an event that Dürer wrote Self-Portrait with a Thistle. In those days, it was considered the norm that future spouses met right at the wedding, so the young artist decided to give his future wife a special gift.

Albrecht is 22 years old in the portrait. The young man fixed his eyes on the distance. He is focused and thoughtful. Albrecht's eyes squint a little due to the fact that he was working on the portrait, looking at himself in the mirror. The artist holds a thistle in his hands. He became the subject of controversy between fans of Durer.

Controversy around Self-Portrait with Thistles

The equivalent of the word "thistle" in German is männertreu, which literally translates as "male fidelity". This clearly indicates that the self-portrait was intended for Agnes Frey. However, opponents of this point of view argue that the thistle is a symbol of the passion of Christ, and the thorns of the plant personify the torment of Jesus. In addition, Dürer wrote on a self-portrait: "The Almighty manages my affairs." And this also clearly indicates that this picture is an expression of the artist's humility and devotion to God, and not a gift to his future wife. However, only Dürer himself knew the truth.

Italian work, 1498

The next work of the master Albrecht in the genre of self-portrait was already made in Italy. The artist always wanted to go to this country and get acquainted with the unique tradition of Italian painting. The young wife and her family did not support the idea of travel, but the plague that swept Nuremberg made the desired trip possible. Durer was struck by the bright riot of colors of Italian landscapes. He depicted nature with incredible clarity for that time. Dürer became the first landscape painter in the history of art. His ideal was now the correct image, corresponding to nature and geometry. Creativethe atmosphere of Italy helped him to accept himself as an innovative artist. And this is fully reflected in his Italian self-portrait.

It depicts a self-confident person who has realized his vocation, the mission of the creator of the beautiful and the creed of the thinker. That was Dürer. The self-portrait, the description of which makes it possible to judge the changes in his self-consciousness, became one of the most famous works of the artist. Durer is full of dignity on it. His posture is straight, and his gaze expresses confidence. Albrecht is richly dressed. His carefully curled hair falls over his shoulders. And in the background of the self-portrait you can see the Italian landscape - the pure inspiration of the artist.

Four temperaments

Dürer's next work fully reflects his nature as a thinker, as well as his desire for self-knowledge. The self-portrait is dedicated to the Greek doctrine of the four temperaments. According to him, people are divided into sanguine, choleric, melancholic and phlegmatic. On the engraving "Men's Bath", the great artist embodied each type of temperament in an individual person. Durer considered himself a melancholic. An unknown astrologer once told him about this. It can be assumed that it is in this role that he is depicted in the engraving. The artist depicted himself as a flutist entertaining his friends.

"Self-portrait as Christ", 1500

From Italy, Dürer returned not as a timid student, but as a master of his craft. At home, Albrecht received many orders that brought him fame. His work was already known outside of his native Nuremberg, and the artist himself set his business oncommercial basis. At the same time, a new century was approaching, the onset of which was to be marked by the end of the world. The tense period of eschatological expectation had a significant impact on Master Albrecht. And in 1500, the most famous work that Dürer created appeared - “Self-Portrait in the Image of Christ.”

He captured himself from the front, which was an unimaginable boldness in the 16th century. All the portraits of that time had one thing in common: ordinary people were always depicted half-faced, and only Jesus was an exception. Dürer became the first artist to violate this unspoken ban. A piercing look, wavy hair, perfect facial proportions really make him look like Christ. Even the hand, depicted at the bottom of the canvas, is folded in a gesture typical of the holy father. The colors in the picture are subdued. Against the background of black, red, white and brown shades, the face of the artist stands out brightly. Dressed in robes trimmed with fur, master Albrecht seemed to compare himself with a creator who creates his own special, mysterious and unique world with a chisel and brush.

Religious self-portraits

Dürer's subsequent self-portraits had a pronounced religious character. The 16th century was full of upheavals associated with the realization of the role of God in the life of an ordinary person. A feasible contribution to this issue was made by Martin Luther, who tried to convey the essence of Christian teaching to people. And Dürer wrote numerous religious compositions. Among them are the Feast of the Rosary and the Adoration of the Holy Trinity. On them, Dürer is not only a master, but alsoparticipant in sacred activities. In this way, he paid tribute to devotion to God.

The most candid self-portrait

Religious overtones are one of the most controversial and mysterious works of the artist - "Nude Self-Portrait". Albrecht Dürer portrayed himself as Christ the Martyr. This is evidenced by a thin face, an emaciated body, a pose reminiscent of Jesus during the scourging. Even the fold of skin depicted by the artist over the right thigh can have a symbolic meaning. There was one of the wounds received by Christ.

The drawing is made with pen and brush on tinted green paper. The exact time of the creation of the self-portrait is unknown, however, based on the age of the artist in the picture, it can be assumed that he painted it in the first decade of the 16th century. It is authentically known that the author kept the work at home and did not present it to the general public. Not a single artist before or after him depicted himself completely naked. The drawing, shocking with its frankness, can hardly be found in publications dedicated to art.

The last self-portraits of Albrecht Dürer

Dürer's subsequent self-portraits predicted his imminent death. In the Netherlands, he was struck by a strange ailment, which at that time no one had any idea about. Now historians can only speculate that it was malaria. The artist had problems with the spleen, which he clearly pointed out in the self-portrait “Dürer the Sick” with a yellow spot. He sent this drawing to his doctor and wrote him a short message. It said that the place on which is depictedyellow spot, causes pain. The reflection of the physical condition of the artist and the continuation of the religious theme was "Self-portrait in the image of the suffering Christ." It depicts Dürer, tormented by an unknown illness and spiritual discord, the cause of which was, perhaps, the Reformation and related events.

He soon died, leaving to his descendants the greatest legacy of his time. Dürer's self-portraits, kept in the most famous galleries in the world, such as the Louvre in Paris and the Prado in Madrid, still amaze with their inner strength and almost mystical beauty.