Willibald Pirckheimer

The detailed print Willibald Pirckheimer by Albrecht Dürer, executed in 1524, is a prime example of Renaissance portraiture achieved through the demanding technique of engraving. This masterful print captures the likeness of the renowned Nuremberg humanist scholar, translator, and patron who was Dürer’s closest lifelong friend. Created late in the artist’s career, the work demonstrates the technical brilliance that established Dürer as the undisputed master of German prints.

Dürer utilized the dense cross-hatching and fine line work characteristic of engraving to render Pirckheimer’s image with exceptional texture and depth. The subject is depicted in three-quarter view, wearing heavy robes lined with fur, and appears contemplative, befitting his status as an intellectual leader of the German Renaissance. As with many of Dürer’s portraits of distinguished men, the composition emphasizes both the sitter’s intellectual vigor and his physical gravitas. This piece served as a memorial to their deep friendship and a recognition of Pirckheimer’s significant role in the cultural life surrounding the Reformation era.

The creation of Willibald Pirckheimer solidified the artist's legacy, showing that an engraving could hold the same artistic and intellectual weight as a painting. Because Dürer intended his prints for broad circulation, the work quickly spread his fame across Europe. Today, this highly significant example of Renaissance portraiture is a key holding in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. High-quality prints of this historical artwork are widely studied and, due to the work’s age, often reside within the public domain.