The Crucifixion, from "The Large Passion"
Original title: The Crucifixion, from "The Large Passion"
kurzbeschreibung
Albrecht Dürer made this woodcut around 1498. It shows the Crucifixion of Christ and belongs to his 'Large Passion' series. The print measures roughly 38.7 by 27.8 centimetres.
Description
Christ, wearing a crown of thorns, hangs at the centre of the cross. Angels and other figures surround him. On the left, two angels catch his blood in a bowl and a chalice; on the right, an angel holds a lantern. Beneath the cross, women mourn, while a mounted soldier appears to the right and a seated woman in the foreground. Trees and a landscape form the backdrop. The monochrome linework is precise and rich in detail.
Context
During the 1490s, Dürer worked in Nuremberg on the woodcut series known as the 'Large Passion'. In 1511 the series first appeared as a book with Latin text. The Crucifixion is one of the principal sheets in the set. In his woodcuts, Dürer combined late Gothic attention to detail with impulses from the Italian Renaissance.
Impact
The layout pairs dramatic depth with a calm, almost ceremonial arrangement. The crowded sequence of figures and the delicate lines create a focused, devotional mood. Dürer's technical skill gives the scene striking liveliness despite the monochrome printing.
Technique
The scene fills the upright sheet with the Crucifixion at its center, framed by angels, mourners, and a mounted soldier, while trees and landscape recede behind the cross. The precise, densely hatched lines give the monochrome composition its rhythm, and the black ink on paper holds every figure and detail in sharp relief.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)