Portrait of a man in a yellow jerkin.

Hans Leonhard Schäufelein painted this portrait of a man in a yellow jerkin around 1507 during his Nuremberg period. As Dürer's principal workshop assistant, Schäufelein absorbed his master's approach to portraiture while developing a more linear, flatter style. His portraits document the appearance and dress of the Nuremberg bourgeoisie. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique. Portraiture in this period served multiple functions: documenting individual appearance, commemorating social status, and demonstrating the patron's wealth through the quality of the commissioned work.

Oil on panel with precise Nuremberg draftsmanship and descriptive rendering of the distinctive yellow jerkin. The portrait combines Dürer's influence in facial modeling with Schäufelein's own more graphic approach.