Portrait of Oswolt Krel, 1499 Albrecht Durer (1471-1528)

We create our paintings with museum quality and covering the highest academic standards. Once we get your order, it will be entirely hand-painted with oil on canvas. All the materials we use are the highest level, being totally artist graded painting materials and linen canvas.

We will add 1.6" (4 cm) additional blank canvas all over the painting for stretching.

High quality and detailing in every inch are time consuming. The reproduction of Albrecht Durer also needs time to dry in order to be completely ready for shipping, as this is crucial to not be damaged during transportation.
Based on the size, level of detail and complexity we need 8-9 weeks to complete the process.

In case the delivery date needs to be extended in time, or we are overloaded with requests, there will be an email sent to you sharing the new timelines of production and delivery.

TOPofART wants to remind you to keep patient, in order to get you the highest quality, being our mission to fulfill your expectations.

We not stretch and frame our oil paintings due to several reasons:
Painting reproduction is a high quality expensive product, which we cannot risk to damage by sending it being stretched.
Also, there are postal restrictions, regarding the size of the shipment.
Additionally, due to the dimensions of the stretched canvas, the shipment price may exceed the price of the product itself.

You can stretch and frame your painting in your local frame-shop.

Once the painting Portrait of Oswolt Krel is ready and dry, it will be shipped to your delivery address. The canvas will be rolled-up in a secure postal tube.

We offer free shipping as well as paid express transportation services.

After adding your artwork to the shopping cart, you will be able to check the delivery price using the Estimate Shipping and Tax tool.

The paintings we create are only of museum quality. Our academy graduated artists will never allow a compromise in the quality and detail of the ordered painting. TOPofART do not work, and will never allow ourselves to work with low quality studios from the Far East. We are based in Europe, and quality is our highest priority.

Albrecht Dürer's "Portrait of Oswolt Krel" from 1499 is a masterful display of Renaissance portraiture that captures both the essence of its subject and the artist's burgeoning talent. This painting, executed when Dürer was just 28, shows us a man of means and status - a Nuremberg merchant affiliated with the prestigious Ravensburg Trading Society.

The composition is dominated by Krel's striking figure, set against a rich red background that both complements and contrasts with his attire. Dürer's use of color is subtle yet impactful - the deep black of Krel's caftan creates a sense of gravitas, while the fur trim adds a touch of luxury and softness to the overall impression.

What's particularly captivating about this work is Dürer's attention to detail in rendering Krel's features. The subject's gaze is direct and penetrating, his curly hair framing a face that seems both youthful and worldly-wise. There's a hint of an enigmatic smile playing at the corners of his mouth, lending the portrait a sense of mystery that draws the viewer in.

Dürer's technique shines in his handling of textures. The fur trim of Krel's robe is rendered with exquisite care, each individual hair seeming to catch the light. The folds and drape of the caftan itself speak to Dürer's mastery of fabric, creating a sense of volume and weight that anchors the figure firmly in space.

The landscape glimpsed to the left of the figure adds depth to the composition and hints at the wider world Krel inhabits as a merchant. It's a clever touch that balances the formality of the portrait with a sense of context and narrative.

This painting marks a significant moment in Dürer's artistic journey. We see him synthesizing influences from Italian portraiture - evident in Krel's elegant pose - with his own Northern European sensibilities. The result is a work that feels both timeless and deeply rooted in its historical moment.

"Portrait of Oswolt Krel" is more than just a likeness - it's a window into the world of Renaissance commerce and culture, rendered with consummate skill by an artist on the cusp of greatness. Dürer gives us not just a man, but a presence - one that continues to captivate viewers more than five centuries after its creation.