Medaillon-Portræt. Købmand og kejserlig råd Ulrich Ebinger 1523 - 1560

This portrait of Ulrich Ebinger was carved in the 16th century by Christoph Weiditz, most likely from boxwood. Its small scale invites us to look closely at the way the artist used tools to shape and form the wood. Notice the crispness of Ebinger's beard and clothing. Wood allows for fine detail, but only if you have the skills to coax it out. The process involved is very labor intensive: carving is a slow, subtractive process, demanding total control. Boxwood’s tight grain is well suited to this kind of virtuosity. The fact that Ebinger would commission such a portrait tells us a lot about his status as a merchant and imperial councilor. He is literally investing in an image of himself, transformed from the raw material of wood into an enduring personal statement. This medallion reveals how much the value of a work depends on the creative labor involved, and how that labor contributes to the social status of both the artist and the sitter. It challenges any rigid separation of craft and fine art.