Bartolomäus Bruyn the Elder: A Cologne Renaissance Portraitist Bartolomäus Bruyn, usually called Barthel Bruyn or Barthel Bruyn the Elder (Wesel (?) 1493 – 1555 Cologne) stands as a pivotal figure in the artistic landscape of late fifteenth and early sixteenth-century Cologne. He wasn’t merely a painter; he was arguably Cologne's foremost portrait artist of his day, shaping the visual representation of prominent citizens and establishing a distinctive style that blended medieval traditions with burgeoning Renaissance ideals. Early Life & Training: Born around 1493 in Wesel (the exact dat…