Philip Melanchthon (1526)
Original title: Philip Melanchthon
kurzbeschreibung
This portrait shows the reformer Philipp Melanchthon in profile facing right. Albrecht Dürer created the image in 1526 as an engraving. The print was made using the copper engraving technique on paper.
Description
Melanchthon appears as a bust-length figure in profile to the right. His face is thoughtful and serious, framed by medium-length wavy hair, a beard, and a mustache. He wears a jacket with a decorated collar over a shirt collar. A plain area with horizontal lines forms the background. The image is entirely monochrome, black and white, without strong shadows, and evenly lit.
Context
Three years after Melanchthon played a decisive role in the Reformation, this portrait was made in 1526. Dürer, a contemporary and admirer of the reformers, also depicted Martin Luther and other leaders of the movement. Probably distributed as a single sheet, the engraving served to make Melanchthon's likeness known in humanist circles.
Impact
A dignified, intellectual aura comes from the calm arrangement and delicate lines. The serious facial expression and precise rendering of features underscore Melanchthon's position as a scholar and theologian.
Technique
The fine lines of the engraving were incised into a copper plate and the resulting impression was taken on paper, so that hair, beard, and clothing appear as a dense web of hatching. The monochrome printing ink sits clearly on the sheet, and the even light across the face reveals how precisely the burin was guided. In its preserved state, the print still shows the sharp contours and subtle tonal gradations that define the texture of the sitter's features and garments.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)