Self-Portrait

On this day in 1471 Albrecht Dürer, one of the greatest artists of all time was born. Today we will present his Self-Portrait, which was painted just before his 29th birthday, and is the last of his three painted self-portraits. Art historians consider it the most personal, iconic, and complex of his self-portraits.

Dürer chooses to present himself monumentally, in a style that unmistakably recalls depictions of Christ—the implications of which have been debated among art critics. A conservative interpretation suggests that he is responding to the tradition of the Imitation of Christ. A more controversial view reads the painting is a proclamation of the artist's supreme role as creator. This latter view is supported by the painting's Latin inscription, which translates as: "I, Albrecht Dürer of Nuremberg portrayed myself in appropriate [or everlasting] colors aged twenty-eight years". A further interpretation holds that the work is an acknowledgement that his artistic talents are God-given. 

See you tomorrow!

P.S. Dürer knew how to take a perfect selfie! : ) Check our selfie tips taken from history’s greatest portrait artists.