Christ in Emmaus, from "The Small Passion"
Original title: Christ in Emmaus, from "The Small Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
Around 1510, Albrecht Dürer made this woodcut showing Christ after his resurrection among two disciples in Emmaus. It belongs to the series 'The Small Passion' and exists as a black-and-white print.
Description
Christ sits at a table, facing him stand two disciples. Rays emanate from above his head, a sign of his divine nature. On the table lie a plate of food and two cups. The disciples are arranged to the left and right of the central figure, giving the layout a balanced feel. Dürer's lines are delicate and rich in detail, as is typical of his woodcuts.
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 audience and appeared in 1511 as a book with Latin texts. By then the artist was well established in Nuremberg and was exploring new ways in woodcut to create multi-layered narratives.
Impact
The print conveys a quiet, serious mood through its clear arrangement. The rays above Christ draw attention to his central role, while the precise rendering of figures and objects shows Dürer's skill in the Renaissance. The restriction to black and white heightens the graphic tension and focuses the viewer on the event.
Technique
Dürer's woodcut technique employs fine lines and hatching to create values of light and shadow, with rays emanating from above Christ's head and casting shadows on the figures and objects. This approach brings out the symmetrical composition centered on Christ at the table with two companions, the traditional clothing, and the plate and two cups, all defined by careful linear strokes typical of the Renaissance.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)