HUM 111
September 1, 2013
This is the year 1520, Nuremburg Germany, I am Albrecht Dürer and I feel as though now it has come time for me to create another portrait of myself. I have painted portraits of myself in the past while I was an apprentice to Michel Wolgemut, the first in 1484 when I was just a young child. I created this piece at the age of thirteen, I am very proud of this piece, as I created it while viewing my likeness in the mirror. There were others after in the year of 1493 when I was twenty-two years of age; this one was the first painted self-portrait. I again painted a self-portrait in 1498; this one was done for my fiancée Agnes Frey. I don’t feel as though those pieces really captured my essence, the way I want my audience to see and remember me as an artist.
I have also made art in the form of carvings and engravings from wood blocks and in copper. These were created in the years of 1511 through 1514, I am also very proud of one piece of work, I call it “The Knight and Death”, but I prefer to simply refer to it as “The Knight”. I really think the engravings are very unique, creating these pieces are time consuming and take a certain level of skill and patients that most do not have within themselves. I would like the viewers of my work to have a greater understanding of myself, and my work. I feel I will be able to give the people who admire my pieces of art a larger perspective of my work and passion by painting a final self-portrait, only this time I shall use more detail within my garments, hair, and facial features. I shall use more earthy tones in the color, and my use of shadows shall accent my face to give a more life like appearance, I want the viewer to feel as though I am truly looking upon them, as if to speak.
I have been painting, carving, and engraving for the majority of my life, I really don’t know if people know who I am and what I have a passion for, I would like to put an ever lasting face to my work, and I would like that to be of my own face. People who have viewed my art have seen my signature and a few words that explain the art that they are looking at.
In the years 1494 and 1495 I traveled to Italy, to watercolor sketch the Alps and landscapes of Italy, I find Italy full of wonderful things to paint and sketch. There is also a great relationship between Nuremberg and Italy. While I was there I was influenced by a number of Italian artist such as Giovanni Bellini and Mantegna. While studying their works I was