Man of Sorrows with Hands Bound
Original title: Man of Sorrows with Hands Bound
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's drypoint 'Schmerzensmann mit gebundenen Händen' dates to 1512 and depicts Christ wearing a crown of thorns, his hands bound. The print measures 11.5 by 7.4 centimeters and ranks among the few works Dürer executed in this technique.
Description
A bearded man with a crown of thorns, barefoot, in a loose robe that falls over his shoulders and arms — this is how Christ appears here. His hands are tied together in front of his body. Trees and an open landscape form the backdrop, giving the view a calm, melancholy tone. The arrangement draws the eye toward the center, with Christ in the foreground. Fine lines and shading in the monochrome drypoint model skin and fabric.
Context
This print was made in 1512, during a period when Dürer was deeply engaged with Passion scenes. Drypoint was still new at the time and rarely used; Dürer tested it in a small number of works. The motif of the Man of Sorrows was widespread in late medieval devotional tradition.
Impact
The downcast gaze and the binding create a quiet tension that draws the viewer into the stillness of the moment. The calm landscape setting and delicate linework reinforce this introspective, devotional impression. Standing before the print, one is invited to contemplate.
Technique
The composition is centered on the sheet, with Christ placed in the foreground and the landscape receding behind him. Drypoint lines scratched directly into the copper plate create the soft tonal gradations and blurred shadows visible across his skin and robe, giving the scene its quiet, melancholic depth.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)