Portrait of Albrecht Dürer 1550

This is Melchior Lorck’s “Portrait of Albrecht Dürer,” a work made sometime between Lorck’s birth in 1526 and death in 1583. Lorck’s profile portrait captures Dürer's features and projects an image of the artist as a figure of intellect. Born in Flensburg, Lorck was a complex figure who served as a diplomat and artist for the Danish court, traveling widely through Europe and the Ottoman Empire. His personal experiences as a traveler and his role as a cultural emissary no doubt shaped his understanding of identity and representation. Lorck’s decision to portray Dürer, a towering figure of the Northern Renaissance, speaks to his artistic ambitions. But it also participates in the construction of artistic lineage and identity. Lorck uses Dürer's image to position himself within a tradition of Northern European art. The inscription at the bottom, though in Latin, reinforces this sense of reverence, describing Dürer as touched by the divine. Lorck’s portrait immortalizes Dürer, ensuring his legacy within art history.