Head of a boy 

Albrecht Durer rendered this delicate head of a boy in pencil, sometime in the late fifteenth or early sixteenth century, amidst the burgeoning humanism of the Northern Renaissance. The artist's careful attention to the boy's features invites us into an intimate space, yet we know nothing of the sitter's identity. During the Renaissance, childhood was reconceptualized as a distinct phase of life. Durer, keenly interested in the human form, seems to capture a fleeting moment of the boy's inner life. The slight tilt of the head and the gentle gaze convey a sense of vulnerability and contemplation. The artist's commitment to realism, combined with the palpable humanity of the subject, marks a shift in the representation of children in art. It invites us to reflect on the way society values innocence and experience, opening up a dialogue about the evolving perceptions of youth and identity.