Deposition, from 'The Small Woodcut Passion'
Original title: Deposition, from "The Small Woodcut Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
A hand-colored woodcut from Albrecht Dürer's Small Woodcut Passion of 1509–10. It depicts the body of Christ being taken down from the cross, surrounded by mourners in a landscape.
Description
On a stretcher in the foreground lies the body of Jesus, supported by a figure in a red robe. Men and women gather around the bier; some look toward the dead, others hold cloths ready. Trees and a path structure the landscape behind. Grief and shock mark the faces; the colors remain mostly dark and subdued, with only the red garments standing out. Light falls from above, tracing the outlines of the figures and the corpse.
Context
Between 1508 and 1510, while working as a freelance artist in Nuremberg, Dürer created the Small Woodcut Passion. It consists of 37 sheets portraying the suffering of Christ. The prints were aimed at a broad public and were sold both individually and in book form. Hand-coloring was common at the time to enhance prints and increase their impact.
Impact
The gaze is drawn to the body of Christ, further emphasized by the red robe of the supporting figure. Muted colors and sorrowful faces evoke a serious, devotional mood. Clear contours and a calm layout give the scene solemn dignity.
Technique
Dürer's design was carved in relief and then hand-colored with water- or body colors. The result is a print whose sharp contours and clear structuring bring out the detailed grief-stricken faces, the varied garments, and the red robes that stand out against the muted tones, while the light from above emphasizes the contours of the figures and the body.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)