Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer (1467–1532)

Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer

Artist: Albrecht Dürer

Medium: Oil on linen

Creation Date: 1999

Artistic and Historical Context

The painting "Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer" is an anachronistic attribution, as Albrecht Dürer, a prominent figure of the Northern Renaissance, lived from 1471 to 1528. Dürer was renowned for his detailed woodcuts, engravings, and paintings, which often combined Northern European artistic traditions with Italian Renaissance influences. The subject, Caritas Pirckheimer, was a notable abbess and intellectual in Nuremberg, known for her correspondence with Dürer and her advocacy for women's education. Dürer's portraits are celebrated for their meticulous attention to detail and psychological depth, capturing the essence of his subjects with remarkable precision. His works have had a lasting impact on the development of portraiture and printmaking in Europe. The attribution of this painting to Dürer in 1999 is likely a modern misclassification, as it does not align with the historical timeline of his oeuvre.

"Portrait of a Woman, Said to Be Caritas Pirckheimer (1467–1532)" is a painting attributed to Albrecht Dürer, though the date of 1999 is likely an error, as Dürer lived from 1471 to 1528. The artwork, executed in oil on linen, reflects Dürer's characteristic attention to detail and realism, capturing the likeness of Caritas Pirckheimer, a notable abbess and intellectual of the Renaissance period.