Portrait of Philip Melancthon
Classification
portraits
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1950-87-8
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer’s 1526 *Portrait of Philip Melancthon* captures one of the leading scholars of the Protestant Reformation. Melancthon, a close collaborator of Martin Luther, helped shape Lutheran theology and education across northern Europe. Created just nine years after the posting of the Ninety-Five Theses, the work reflects the intense intellectual and religious ferment of the period, when artists and thinkers alike were reexamining faith, authority, and the individual’s place in society. Dürer, already celebrated across the continent for his precise draftsmanship and innovative printmakin...