Portrait of a Young Artist
c. 1500
Medium
Oil on panel
Dimensions
45.7 × 32.8 cm (18 × 12 7/8 in.); Framed: 64.5 × 50.5 cm (25 1/2 × 19 3/4 in.)
Classification
oil on panel
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
59891
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
The youthful sitter in this portrait pauses in the midst of drawing a nude figure to shape his quill pen. On the shelf behind him are pots of paint, a shell probably used to mix pigment and binder, and a bottle of oil. It has often been assumed that this is a self-portrait, given the individualized features, like the mole on the man’s cheek, and the range of artmaking tools throughout the scene. Whether the artist depicted himself or a colleague, the presentation here leaves no doubt as to the pr...
About the Artist
German
**German, Franconia (active ca. 1485–1500)** was an anonymous artist from the Franconian region of northern Bavaria, Germany, renowned for his contributions to late Gothic graphic arts. Little is known of his early life or training, as details about many anonymous masters from this era remain undocumented. Franconia, with its vibrant artistic centers like Nuremberg, fostered a rich tradition of re...