Basic Information

Historical Context

A portrait of an unidentified Nuremberg woman, painted during Dürer's first mature period. Portraits of women from this period in Dürer's career are relatively rare, making this work significant for understanding the range of his portraiture practice. [Inferred from Dürer Catalog] Visual Description A woman is shown in half-length against a dark background, wearing the fashionable dress of early sixteenth-century Nuremberg. Her hair is covered by a headdress or cap typical of the period. Her face is composed and dignified. The painting is intimate in scale. Artistic Analysis This portrait demonstrates Dürer's ability to create psychologically engaging portraits of women as well as men. While fewer female portraits survive from Dürer's hand, those that do demonstrate the same combination of physical accuracy and psychological depth that characterizes his male portraits. The work reflects the social world of Dürer's Nuremberg and the role of portraiture in defining bourgeois identity.