The Deposition, from "The Small Passion"
Original title: The Deposition, from "The Small Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer made the Descent from the Cross around 1509 as a sheet of his Small Passion. This woodcut depicts the removal of Christ's body from the cross, surrounded by mourners; the arrangement is rich in detail.
Description
Christ lies motionless on a table while Joseph of Arimathea grasps his feet. Mary Magdalene approaches with a jar of ointment; other figures, including a woman with a child, look on. The composition converges symmetrically on Christ, and the figures wear traditional garments. Shades of gray dominate the monochrome print, whose linear network distributes light evenly.
Context
Between 1509 and 1511 Dürer worked on the Small Passion, a series of 37 woodcuts on the life and suffering of Christ. It was aimed at a broad market and appeared in 1511 with Latin and German texts. Prints of this kind were common in the Renaissance and served both religious instruction and devotion.
Impact
Clear lines and a calm, solemn mood define the sheet. The symmetrical arrangement and detailed faces give it a dignified, meditative air that invites contemplation.
Technique
Auf diesem Blatt zeigt sich die Druckfarbe als gleichmäßig verteiltes, monochromes Schwarz, das die Linien und Schraffuren klar hervortreten lässt. Die feinen Parallelschraffuren erzeugen unterschiedliche Grautöne und Strukturen, wodurch sich Figuren und Hintergrund deutlich voneinander absetzen. Der Zustand des Papiers und die saubere Prägung der Linien vermitteln einen Eindruck von Dürers virtuoser Druckgraphik.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)