Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony
Print
1524 (engraved)
1524 (engraved)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Albrecht Dürer produced many portraits which were either drawn or painted, but made comparatively few printed portraits. His subjects were his friends and associates but also leading figures in politics, religion, science and the arts as well as key figures involved in the Reformation. Some of these portraits were for private use while some were designed from the outset for public display. By the time of producing this print Dürer was an accomplished master of engraving.
Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1463-1525), the subject of this print, was one of Dürer's earliest significant patrons. The print was done a year before the death of Frederick and is based on a silverpoint drawing made by Dürer now in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. The drawing was presumably made during a visit by Frederick to Nuremberg in 1522-23, where Dürer had his workshop. The print from this drawing is small and intimate. Dürer shows the Elector, almost full-face, filling the whole space, and demonstrates the artist's technical mastery of engraving in the detail of the Elector's voluminous beard and the intricacies of the fur mantle. Dürer shows the reflection of a window in the eyes of his sitter, a device often used by the artist in his portraits. On either side of the head are the coat of arms of the Prince Elect of Saxony to the left and the Dukedom of Saxony to the right. The lettering in Latin on the tablet in front of the Elector reads 'Sacred to Christ. He favoured the word of God with great piety, worthy to be revered by posterity forever. Albrecht Dürer made this for Duke Frederick of Saxony, Arch-Marshal, Elector of the Holy Roman Empire....'. Frederick is remembered as the man who saved Martin Luther from the fury of the Catholic Church. Following Luther's excommunication in 1521 he ensured his safe protection in Wartburg Castle.
Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1463-1525), the subject of this print, was one of Dürer's earliest significant patrons. The print was done a year before the death of Frederick and is based on a silverpoint drawing made by Dürer now in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. The drawing was presumably made during a visit by Frederick to Nuremberg in 1522-23, where Dürer had his workshop. The print from this drawing is small and intimate. Dürer shows the Elector, almost full-face, filling the whole space, and demonstrates the artist's technical mastery of engraving in the detail of the Elector's voluminous beard and the intricacies of the fur mantle. Dürer shows the reflection of a window in the eyes of his sitter, a device often used by the artist in his portraits. On either side of the head are the coat of arms of the Prince Elect of Saxony to the left and the Dukedom of Saxony to the right. The lettering in Latin on the tablet in front of the Elector reads 'Sacred to Christ. He favoured the word of God with great piety, worthy to be revered by posterity forever. Albrecht Dürer made this for Duke Frederick of Saxony, Arch-Marshal, Elector of the Holy Roman Empire....'. Frederick is remembered as the man who saved Martin Luther from the fury of the Catholic Church. Following Luther's excommunication in 1521 he ensured his safe protection in Wartburg Castle.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Engraving on laid paper |
| Brief description | Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony; engraving by Albrecht Dürer; 1524 |
| Physical description | Head and shoulders portrait of Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1463-1525), looking to the left, wearing a hat and a coat with a fur collar, behind a plaque bearing the inscription 'CHRISTO . SACRVM . ILLe . DEI VERBO . MAGNA PIETATE .FAVEBAT . PERPETVA . DIGNVS . POSTERITATE . COLI . D . FRIDR . DVCI . SAXON . S . R . IMP . ARCHIM . ELECTORI . ALBERTVS . DVRER . NVR . FACIEBAT. B.M.F.V.V.M.D.XXIIII'. Shields with coats of arms in the left and right hand corners. To the right is the coat of arms of the Dukedom of Saxony, to the left the coat of arms of the Prince Elect of Saxony. The lights of a window are reflected in the eyes of the Duke. The print has been cut at some stage across the plaque but has now been rejoined. |
| Dimensions |
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| Style | |
| Marks and inscriptions | . CHRISTO . SACRVM .
. ILLe . DEI VERBO . MAGNA PIETATE .FAVEBAT .
. PERPETVA . DIGNVS . POSTERITATE . COLI .
. D . FRIDR . DVCI . SAXON . S . R . IMP .
. ARCHIM . ELECTORI .
. ALBERTVS . DVRER . NVR . FACIEBAT .
. B . M . F . V . V .
. M . D . XXIIII . (Translation from 'The Illustrated Bartsch, Sixteenth Century German Artists - Albrecht Dürer; Edited by Walter L. Strauss; Abaris Books, New York; page 229)
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| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Miss Alice Carthew |
| Historical context | 'Friedrich the Wise of Saxony (1463-1525) was a powerful Catholic potentate who inherited a massive collection of reliquaries in the church of All Saints in Wittenberg but late in life converted to the Lutheran cause. To Dürer's relief, the Elector ensured the safe protection of Luther in his castle at the Wartburg when the reformer's life was endangered following his excommunication in 1521. Friedrich the Wise was Dürer's earliest significant patron, and his commission of a painted portrait in 1496 was a major work that stimulated others to patronize the young artist. Friedrich's later commissions included Dürer's magnificent 'Adoration of the Magi' of 1504 and the 'Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand' in 1508 as well as other altarpieces. This engraving shows an elderly Friedrich the year before his death. It is based on a silverpoint drawing in Paris (Ecole des Beaux-Arts; Strauss 1524/I). As with his portrait of Ulrich Varnbüler (cat. no. 163), Dürer has taken the unusual step of signing the print in full, [as well as including his monogram AD which appears above the left shoulder of the sitter]. From 'Albrecht Dürer and His Legacy - The Graphic Work of a Renaissance Artist', Giulia Bartrum with contributions by Günter Grass, Joseph L. Koerner and Ute Kuhlemann; The British Museum Press; 2002 From 'The Illustrated Bartsch: Albrecht Dürer'; Commentary 10 'In contrast to the strict profile of [Dürer's] portrait of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, Dürer pictures Frederick the Wise almost full-face. The engraving is based on a prepartory drawing (SD.1524/1), presumably drawn during Frederick's stay in Nuremberg between November 1522 and February 1523. As in most of his later portraits, Dürer shows the reflection of a window in the pupils of his sitter, perhaps symbolizing the eye as the window of the soul.' |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | Albrecht Dürer produced many portraits which were either drawn or painted, but made comparatively few printed portraits. His subjects were his friends and associates but also leading figures in politics, religion, science and the arts as well as key figures involved in the Reformation. Some of these portraits were for private use while some were designed from the outset for public display. By the time of producing this print Dürer was an accomplished master of engraving. Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony (1463-1525), the subject of this print, was one of Dürer's earliest significant patrons. The print was done a year before the death of Frederick and is based on a silverpoint drawing made by Dürer now in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Paris. The drawing was presumably made during a visit by Frederick to Nuremberg in 1522-23, where Dürer had his workshop. The print from this drawing is small and intimate. Dürer shows the Elector, almost full-face, filling the whole space, and demonstrates the artist's technical mastery of engraving in the detail of the Elector's voluminous beard and the intricacies of the fur mantle. Dürer shows the reflection of a window in the eyes of his sitter, a device often used by the artist in his portraits. On either side of the head are the coat of arms of the Prince Elect of Saxony to the left and the Dukedom of Saxony to the right. The lettering in Latin on the tablet in front of the Elector reads 'Sacred to Christ. He favoured the word of God with great piety, worthy to be revered by posterity forever. Albrecht Dürer made this for Duke Frederick of Saxony, Arch-Marshal, Elector of the Holy Roman Empire....'. Frederick is remembered as the man who saved Martin Luther from the fury of the Catholic Church. Following Luther's excommunication in 1521 he ensured his safe protection in Wartburg Castle. |
| Associated objects |
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| Bibliographic references |
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| Other number | B.104 - Le Peintre-Graveur |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.655-1940 |
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| Record created | July 18, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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