Small Woodcut Passion
Original title: Small Woodcut Passion
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's Kleine Holzschnittpassion is a series of woodcuts made between 1509 and 1510. The sheets are hand-colored and kept loose in a red book binding. They show scenes from Christ's Passion, and this one is the Carrying of the Cross.
Description
Unlike many devotional images of the period, which place Christ alone at the center, here he is embedded in a crowd of many figures. In the foreground Jesus lies beneath the cross, surrounded by people. Some wear medieval garments and headgear, while others carry lances and shields. Behind the group rise buildings and a castle, suggesting an urban setting. The colors are strong, ranging from red and yellow to blue and green. The light is even, with no shadows.
Context
Created in Nuremberg between 1509 and 1510, the Kleine Holzschnittpassion belongs to a period when Dürer was deeply engaged with printmaking. The woodcuts were intended for sale as single sheets or as a bound book. Hand-coloring was common at the time, making the prints accessible to a wider public.
Impact
The bright colors and clear outlines give the image a direct, popular appeal. The suffering Christ amid the crowd creates an emotional intensity that immediately engages the viewer.
Technique
The sheets are printed on paper, and traces of the printing ink remain visible in the crisp black lines that structure the scene. Each impression was then colored by hand, so the vivid reds, yellows, blues and greens vary from sheet to sheet without cast shadows. The prints are preserved loose within a red book binding, which has kept them together while leaving the individual pages accessible.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)