\paperw5490 \margr0\margl0 \plain \fs20 \f1 The artist has portrayed himself in a rigidly frontal position, against a dark background, in a hieratic pose that is typical of repre
sentations of Christ.\par
His right hand is raised to clasp the fur collar of his jacket and mimics the position of ChristÆs hand when he is giving his blessing in pictures of the \i Salvator Mundi\i0 .\par
DⁿrerÆs intention to imitate the Redeemer is
evident in the idealization of his features û such as his eyes and nose û in order to resemble those traditionally attributed to Christ. His long hair is also parted in the middle.\par
The compositionÆs originality can be ascribed in part to the histori
cal period in which it was painted, when imitating Christ was done in a strictly orthodox manner, and in part to the mystical conception that Dⁿrer had of artistic creativity, which he saw as a direct derivation of divine creation. \par
The picture bear
s an inscription in Latin on the right, recording the author of the work, and the date (1500) on the left, set above the painterÆs monogram. It was acquired by Louis I in Nuremberg in 1805.
