The Wart
We assume that copyists do not add details to their copies, that were not in the original but that they are more likely to drop minor details. Therefore the facial wart on the sitter's left cheek, which is visible both in the print and in the Scots version makes it unlikely that they were copied from either the Albertina drawing or the Phoebus version, neither of which have the wart. In the online image
https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/farcys of the Albertina drawing it is clear that the darker area of beard is not intended to represent a wart.
Galle Print Version
Phoebus Version
Scots Version
Albertina Version
The Hat Badge.
The Galle Print and the Albertina Drawing show no trace of a hat badge, but there is a highly finished badge in the Phoebus version and a sketched outline in the Scots version. In the Scots version under IRR there is also an underdrawing of a double oval visible at the cut down top edge of the panel (see far right). From its orientation, this oval appears to be the artist trying out the correct angle for the attachment of the badge to the hat.
Phoebus Version
Galle Print Version
Albertina Version
Scots IRR Version
The Eyes, Eyebrow Quiff, Reflections
There are several differences between the eyes in the four versions.
In the print the sitter's irises are fairly central to the eyeball with the left eye seeming to look more directly at the viewer. The eyes appear slightly un-focussed.
In the Scots version the eyes are looking upwards but firmly to the sitters right.
In the Albertina image the sitter's right pupil is partially obscured by a barred window reflection, but its position is not central to the iris. The right eye looks fairly directly towards the viewer, but with the eyes appearing to look in different directions. It faintly includes the eyebrow quiff that appears in both the Print and the Scots versions, but includes a downward swoop in the middle of the left eyebrow that does not appear clearly in the other versions, although there is a darker line under that area in the Phoebus version, which might depict the underdrawing whch is in the same place in the Scots version.
The Phoebus version seems very close to the Scots version, with similar high arched eyebrows and eye direction but lacking the clearly defined quiff of eyebrow hair of the Scots version and the Galle print
Galle Print Version
Scots version
Albertina Version
Phoebus Version
For comparison with Durer paintings, especially high res details of the eyes, see:-
Daniel Hess ; Oliver Mack "Durer as Painter The Early Work up to 1505" in:-
The early Durer: Exhibition organised by the Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg; May 24-September 2, 2012 s.171-193
This essay is available online at:-
The quilted sleeves
The Galle Print and Phoebus sleeves are a very good match, both in the structural folds and in the checkered pattern.
The Albertina drawing presents a problem. First, the fur re-appears below a much diminished sleeve. Secondly there is no hint of the checkered diamond pattern and between the fur and the left end of the sleeve, there appears to be an area of shadow. We did not have a clear IRR photo of the sleeve detected by the Hamilton Kerr Institute under the repaint in the lower diagonal corners of the Scots version and have not drawn comparisons.
