Elisabet Krelerin
19th century
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam.: 5.2 cm (2 1/4 in.)
Classification
medal
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
143921
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Painting and Sculpture of, this intimate bronze medal titled *Elisabet Kre* measures just 5.2 cm in, making it a pocket-sized masterpiece. Attributed to the renowned Albrecht Dürer and dated to the 19th century, it exemplifies the enduring appeal of Renaissance-style portrait medals—small-scale sculptures that functioned like wearable art, often exchanged as gifts or tokens of prestige. Dürer's influence shines through in the medal's classification as a sculptural work, blending the precision of his graphic mastery with the three-dimensi...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...