Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman

On this day in 1471, one of the greatest Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer was born :)

This honest, close-up view of a gentle face was typical for Venetian portraits of the time. The painting was executed, along with a number of other high-society portraits, during artist's second visit to Italy. It was then when Dürer became fascinated by and befriended Giovanni Bellini, an established master when Dürer was still a relatively unknown outside of Germany. This portrait is believed to be the first work he painted there. Anticipating his return to the north in January 1507, Dürer wrote to his friend Willibald Pirckheimer a lament that has become famous: “O wy wirt mich noch der sunnen friren. Hy pin jch ein her, doheim ein schmarotzer.” (“Oh, how shall I freeze after this sun! Here I am a gentleman, at home a parasite.”) Poor Dürer :)

The portrait is unfinished; a number of elements, noticeably the black bow above her chest, are not as well described as other passages.