Portrait of Ulrich Varnbüler

Unknown artist

In his woodcut Dürer shows the Swiss jurist Ulrich Varnbüler as a near-foliate chest in three-quarter view with dark background. The artist transferred a chalk drawing, which he already made by the portrait in 1522 (cf. Vienna, Albertina, Inv.-Nr. 4849), to the wooden stick. Varnbüler’s face and gaze in the distance are focused as expressive bearers. The outloading beret protrudes into the text field above the depiction, thereby achieving depth effect. In addition to the designation and the year of origin, a Latin inscription is found on a rolled up document, which refers to Dürer as a friend and draftsman Varnbülers. Already Heller mentioned in 1827 that the print stock came into the possession of Hendrik Hondius (1573-1650), who made clair-obscur prints. (Cf. Heller Dürer 1827 II.743.1952)