Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog number |
2004.8.1 |
Artist |
Dürer, Albrecht |
Title |
Christ Nailed to the Cross (B39) |
Date |
1511 |
Object Name |
Woodcut |
Description |
Christ Nailed to the Cross (B39) by Albrecht Durer (German printmaker and painter, 1471-1528), signed in the block; from the Small Passion, edition 1511 with Latin text. This signed print is one of 36 from the series known as the "Small Passion." Out of all of Dürer’s series, the "Small Passion" is the largest and one of his most popular. Dürer began the series sometime in 1508 or 1509, completed it in 1510, and published it in 1511 with Latin verses by Benedictus Chelidonius facing each plate. Between 1506 and 1512 Dürer devoted himself to the study of the human form. In tackling this problem, he drew upon the resources of arithmetic and geometry, reflecting the rigorous scientific observations of the day. In this complex composition, you can see the painstaking accuracy of realism through mathematics, proportion, and composition. Jesus is portrayed laid out on the cross while executioners are in the midst of securing his left hand. Their tools are sprayed around the foreground while a guard stands watch. The background seems to stretch with impossible space detailing mourners along rocky outcroppings. Thea Lanzisero in "Re-Forming the Image in Northern Europe in the Dutch Golden Age", ex. cat. G -T M, Queens College, CUNY, February 4-April 27, 2013 |
Medium/Material |
Ink on paper |
Dimensions |
H-5 W-3.75 inches |
Culture |
German |