Portrait of Cardinal Lang von Wellenburg 

Here is a portrait of Cardinal Lang von Wellenburg, drawn by Albrecht Durer. Immediately, one notices Durer's meticulous use of line. The hatching and cross-hatching create a delicate tonal range from the stark whites of the paper to darker shaded areas, giving the Cardinal's face and vestments a striking three-dimensionality. The formal construction invites us to reflect on the semiotics of portraiture itself. The Cardinal's gaze, averted and perhaps contemplative, challenges the conventional display of power. His elaborate hat and the precise rendering of his garments signal status, yet the drawing's intimate scale and the softness of the graphite lines suggest a tension between public persona and private self. Consider how Durer, through formal choices, destabilizes established meanings. The very act of portraying a religious figure with such human vulnerability pushes against rigid interpretations of authority, reminding us that art's power lies in its capacity to question, interpret, and redefine cultural narratives.