Christ on the Mount of Olives, from "The Small Passion"
Original title: Christ on the Mount of Olives, from "The Small Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's woodcut from around 1510 shows Christ praying on the Mount of Olives. Three sleeping disciples surround him, while an angel with a cross appears. This print belongs to the series 'The Small Passion' and is a black-and-white impression.
Description
Christ kneels at the center, head bowed, eyelids closed, holding a book. Three disciples lie around him: two stretched out on the ground, one sitting with a scroll; all show exhaustion. A winged angel with a cross hovers above. The layout is vertical, with Christ as the focal point and the disciples placed to the sides.
Context
The 'Small Passion' was created between 1508 and 1511 and consists of 37 woodcuts depicting Christ's suffering and resurrection. Dürer was working in Nuremberg as a freelance artist at the time and devoted himself increasingly to printmaking. The prints were aimed at a broad market and were sold both as a book and individually.
Impact
The lowered eyes and bowed posture of Christ create a palpable inner tension. Clear lines and the reduced surface draw the viewer's gaze to the figures and their sorrow. Thus a quiet but insistent mood emerges.
Technique
The vertical composition places Christ at the center, flanked by the sleeping disciples and the hovering angel, so the scene sits as a compact, balanced group on the sheet. Fine, exact lines and graduated hatching model light and shadow across the monochrome surface, giving the figures and the shallow ground a sense of depth within the print's format.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)