Portrait of a Woman 1494

Albrecht Dürer made this Portrait of a Woman as a pen and ink drawing sometime in the early 16th century. The work epitomizes the explosion of portraiture taking place in Europe at this time. Dürer was not just an artist, but also an entrepreneur, acutely aware of the burgeoning art market and the rising status of the artist. Portraiture became increasingly popular among the rising merchant classes, eager to emulate the aristocracy. The image creates meaning through the elaborate patterned dress of the sitter, suggesting her elevated social status. The work tells us much about the social conditions shaping artistic production. Artists like Dürer were keenly aware of their public role, and in tune with the politics of imagery. To understand this work better, we might research fashion in the German Renaissance, or examine the artist's financial records. The meaning of art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.