Portrait of Albrecht Dürer

Art Historical Context

Step into the world of Renaissance reverence with Lucas Kilian's *Portrait of Albrecht Dürer* (1608), a engraving on ivory laid paper now housed in the Art Institute Chicago's Prints and Drawings. Measuring 33.5 × 20.2 cm on the plate and slightly larger on its sheet, this intimate work captures the likeness of Albrecht Dürer, the German artist who revolutionized printmaking in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Created over 80 years after Dürer's death in 1528, it reflects the enduring admiration for his genius among later generations. Kilian, a prominent engraver from Augsburg working in the early Baroque era, employs the intricate technique of engraving—incising fine lines into a metal plate with a burin, inking it, and pressing it onto paper—to evoke Dürer's thoughtful gaze and detailed features. The choice of ivory laid paper, prized for its smooth texture and subtle sheen, enhances the print's clarity and luminosity, making it a technical showcase of precision and durability suited for collectors. This portrait underscores Dürer's cultural legacy as a bridge between the Renaissance and the print revolution, symbolizing how his innovations in woodcuts and engravings inspired artists like Kilian. A testament to artistic lineage, it invites us to ponder the timeless power of the printed image in preserving history.

About the Artist

Lucas Kilian · 1579–1637

Lucas Kilian (1579–1637) was one of the most celebrated engravers of early 17th-century Germany and the most prominent member of the Kilian dynasty of printmakers in Augsburg. Born in Augsburg in 1579, Lucas Kilian achieved international recognition for his technically virtuosic engravings and became a leading figure in the transition from late Renaissance to early Baroque printmaking styles. His ...