Artwork
Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg ("Large Cardinal")
Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg ("Large Cardinal") is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1523 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in plate, top: M D X X III / SIC OCVLOS SIC ILLE GENAS SIC ORA FEREBAT / ANNO ETATIS SVE. XXXIIII [So appeared his eyes, his cheeks, his features at the age of 34]; in plate, bottom: ALBERTVS. MI[SERICORDIA]. D[E]I. SA[CRO]. SANC[TAE]. ROMANAE. ECCL[ESI]AE. TI[TVLI]. SAN[CTI]. / CHRYSOGONI. P[RES]B[ITE]R. CARDINA[LIS]. MAGNVN[TINENSIS]. AC. MAGDE[BVRGENSIS]. / ARCHIEP[ISCOPV]S. ELECTOR. IMPE[RII]. PRIMAS. ADMINI[STRATOR]. / HALBER[STADENSIS]. MARCHI[O]. BRANDENBVRGENSIS [Albert, by God's mercy Cardinal Priest of the Holy Roman Church titular presbyter cardinal of St Chrysogonus, Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg, Primate Elector of the Empire, Administer of Halberstadt, Margrave of Brandenburg]; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: 669 [?]; verso, lower left, in graphite by a later hand: B 103; verso, lower right, in graphite by a later hand: 39; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: B8 [?] [erased]; verso, bottom left, in graphite by a later hand: u47899 [?] [erased]
- Markings
- Marked:none
About this work
This portrait is called Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg. It was made by Albrecht Dürer in 1523. The artist used engraving on laid paper to create it.
You can find it at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. This portrait is from the Renaissance period. Dürer was active during this time and his work reflects the styles of the era. Check out the movement: Renaissance.
Overview
Albrecht Dürer’s 1523 engraving of Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg, often referred to as the “Large Cardinal,” is a portrait executed on laid paper. The work measures roughly 30 × 20 cm and is part of the National Gallery of Art’s collection in Washington, D.C., representing a mature example of Dürer’s printmaking.
Subject & Meaning
The image depicts Cardinal Albrecht, a prominent ecclesiastical figure of the early sixteenth century, shown in full regalia with a fur-lined hat and jeweled chain. The portrait emphasizes the cardinal’s status and piety, while Dürer’s careful rendering of facial features conveys a sense of personal presence within the formal conventions of Renaissance portraiture.
Technique & Style
Created with a fine engraving on laid paper, Dürer employed delicate hatching and cross‑hatching to model light and texture, particularly in the fabric and the cardinal’s beard. The linear precision and subtle tonal gradations reflect the artist’s mastery of the Northern Renaissance print tradition, combining meticulous detail with a restrained compositional balance.
History & Provenance
The print was produced shortly after Dürer’s 1522 visit to the cardinal’s court in Brandenburg, a period during which the artist received patronage from high-ranking officials. It entered the National Gallery of Art’s holdings in the mid‑20th century through a donation from a private collector, and it has been exhibited in several surveys of Dürer’s graphic oeuvre.
Context
The portrait belongs to the broader Renaissance movement that saw Northern artists integrating Italian humanist ideals with local traditions. Dürer’s engagement with courtly patrons like Cardinal Albrecht illustrates the interplay between art, politics, and religion in early‑modern Germany, where portraiture served both documentary and propagandistic functions.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
