Ulrich Van Büler

Ulrich Van Büler is a significant woodcut print created by the renowned German Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer during the period 1485-1528. This broad dating reflects the long span of Dürer’s active printmaking career, a time when the graphic arts were rapidly transforming the accessibility of visual culture across Europe.

As a masterful example of the woodcut technique, the piece demonstrates Dürer’s unparalleled ability to manipulate line and dense cross-hatching to achieve shadow, depth, and texture in the relief printing process. Dürer was instrumental in elevating printmaking, and especially the production of fine art prints, from a specialized craft to an independent and highly respected art form recognized throughout the continent.

The subject is a portrait of a man, likely Ulrich Van Büler, rendered in a crisp profile view. This formal arrangement, characteristic of Renaissance portraiture, allows the artist to focus intently on the sitter’s strong facial features and the distinct contours of the head. While many of Dürer’s subjects were well-known figures, even studies dedicated to specific profiles offered important insights into human character and physiognomy, a popular area of study during the Northern Renaissance.

This historically important work resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The enduring quality and widespread availability of Dürer's graphic output ensure that high-resolution reproductions of his influential prints, including Ulrich Van Büler, are often made available through the public domain for academic study and widespread appreciation.