Art Institute of Chicago

Portrait of a Young Artist

South German

Date

c. 1500

Medium

Oil on panel

Culture

Germany

Department

Painting and Sculpture of Europe

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The youthful sitter in this portrait pauses in the midst of drawing a nude figure to shape his quill pen. On the shelf behind him are pots of paint, a shell probably used to mix pigment and binder, and a bottle of oil. It has often been assumed that this is a self-portrait, given the individualized features, like the mole on the man’s cheek, and the range of artmaking tools throughout the scene. Whether the artist depicted himself or a colleague, the presentation here leaves no doubt as to the profession of this sitter or the painter’s esteem for it.

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