Christ before Annas, from "The Small Passion"
Original title: Christ before Annas, from "The Small Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer's woodcut "Christ before Annas" belongs to his Small Passion, made around 1508. It depicts the interrogation of Jesus by the high priest Annas. Dürer clusters numerous figures tightly around Christ, who is pressed by soldiers.
Description
On a staircase, Christ kneels in a long robe. To the left, a soldier raises his spear; on the right, another spear-bearer stands. Other people, including a woman with a child, fill the background. The setting features columns and a vaulted ceiling. The layout is dynamic and directs attention to the actions of those involved.
Context
The Small Passion comprises 37 woodcuts that Dürer issued in 1508 and 1509. Intended as devotional images for a broad public, it helped spread Dürer's art. The series follows the biblical Passion narrative and proved a commercial success for the Nuremberg master.
Impact
The monochrome nature of the woodcut emphasizes the expressive linework and the drama of the event. The cramped space and jostling figures create a palpable tension that draws the viewer in directly.
Technique
The drawing was incised into a woodblock and inked for printing, so that the resulting sheet renders the scene in pure black lines. This brings out the finely graded shadows across the kneeling Christ, the spears and armour of the surrounding soldiers, and the columns and vaulting of the setting.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)