Day 3: Albrecht Dürer’s self portrait

This self-portrait is one of Albrecht Dürer’s most well-known pieces, not only because it reminds everyone of Jesus, but also because it is one of the first self-portraits in the European art history. The right hand is tilted inward as a sign of blessing; the light is shed mostly on the face and the hand, which makes the scholar coat less noticeable; also, the eyes are straight staring at the viewer of the portrait. I have known about this piece of painting before, but looking at these pair of eyes in person is very different. It gave me a sense of soothing and intimidation at the same time.