Ulrich Van Büler
Original title: Ulrich Van Büler
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer captured Ulrich Van Büler in a woodcut around 1522. The sheet on paper measures 43.5 x 32.9 cm and presents the sitter in profile, wearing a cap and a patterned vest. A Latin inscription complements the portrait.
Description
The subject looks to the right, his cap set slightly back. Short, wavy hair and a mustache frame the face; a shirt with a turned-down collar is visible. The vest bears a grid-like pattern. A plain wall forms the backdrop, and at the lower right is a Latin inscription by Dürer. At the top appear the sitter's name and the year M.D.XXII (1522).
Context
Dürer made this woodcut in 1522, when he was deeply engaged with printmaking. Ulrich Van Büler is documented as a citizen of Nuremberg, suggesting a civic commission. By this time Dürer was already an established artist, known for precise portraits. The Latin inscription points to the humanist background of the Renaissance.
Impact
Fine lines and precise shading give the portrait great liveliness and detail. The restrained background pushes facial features and clothing to the fore, creating a calm, dignified air. The woodcut yields a clear, graphic structure that emphasizes the sitter's personality.
Technique
Fine lines and varying line weights create the shading, while the large paper format demanded high precision in the cutting. This allows textures such as the pattern of the vest and the structure of the hair to be rendered in detail.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)