Portrait of Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Elector of Saxony
1543
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed; without frame): 13 1/16 × 8 7/16 in. (33.2 × 21.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1921
Accession Number
21.29.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the striking *Portrait of Johann Friedrich the Magnanimous, Elector Saxony* (1543), an engraving by Georg Pencz, a master of the German Renaissance known among the "Little Masters" his intricate small-scale prints. Pencz, active in Nuremberg, drew inspiration from Albrecht Dürer, crafting detailed images that captured the era's humanist ideals and Reformation fervor. This work, measuring about 13 × 8 inches, exemplifies his skill in rendering a dignified profile of the elector, emphasizing his noble bearing through precise line work. Johann Friedrich, a pivotal Protestant leader and de...
About the Artist
Georg Pencz · 1490–1550
Comment on works: Religious; History; Portraits