"Portrait of an African Man," Albrecht Dürer, 1509.

The earliest known portrait of a black African person in Western European art. Nothing is known of the sitter, so we can only guess who he was. His expression seems determined to me, as if he brooks no nonsense. Perhaps he didn't like being drawn. We may never know.

From the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

#art #AfricansInArt #AlbrechtDurer