Christ before Caiaphas
Print
1512 (engraved)
1512 (engraved)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The Engraved Passion (1507-1512) was one of four major series of religious prints made by Dürer, and helped to establish his reputation as an outstanding Renaissance printmaker. The others were the woodcut series of the Life of the Virgin, the Great Passion, and the Little Passion, all published in 1511. The Engraved Passion consists of fifteen small scale engravings and tells the story of Christ's betrayal by Judas, his crucifixion and resurrection. Dürer is renowned for inventing new and imaginative ways to depict scenes from Christian stories, and in the Engraved Passion the compositions of each plate are dramatic, intricate and complex, with emotive contrasts of light and shadow. Unlike the more populist woodcut prints, they were designed to appeal to a more exclusive market of connoisseurs and collectors. Because it took several years for the series to be completed, it is likely that individual images were sold separately. The series was also sold in sets for devotional use, and was widely copied by other printmakers and in other media.
Object details
Category | |
Object type | |
Title | Christ before Caiaphas (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Engraving on paper |
Brief description | Engraving by Albrecht Dürer, 'Christ before Caiaphas'; 1512, Nuremberg. Plate 4 from 'The Engraved Passion'. Date and artist's monogram inscribed at centre top. |
Physical description | Engraving by Albrecht Dürer, ‘Christ before Caiaphas’; 1512, Nuremberg. Fourth plate from the series ‘The Engraved Passion’. Date and artist's monogram inscribed at centre top ‘1512 / AD’. In a dark, low ceilinged-room, Jesus stands before Caiaphas, the Jewish high priest. His wrists are bound, his head bowed, and his arms held by guards at each side. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Marks and inscriptions | '1512 / AD' (Date and artist's monogram inscribed at middle top) |
Credit line | Salting Bequest |
Historical context | Plate 4 of the series 'The Engraved Passion'. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | The Engraved Passion (1507-1512) was one of four major series of religious prints made by Dürer, and helped to establish his reputation as an outstanding Renaissance printmaker. The others were the woodcut series of the Life of the Virgin, the Great Passion, and the Little Passion, all published in 1511. The Engraved Passion consists of fifteen small scale engravings and tells the story of Christ's betrayal by Judas, his crucifixion and resurrection. Dürer is renowned for inventing new and imaginative ways to depict scenes from Christian stories, and in the Engraved Passion the compositions of each plate are dramatic, intricate and complex, with emotive contrasts of light and shadow. Unlike the more populist woodcut prints, they were designed to appeal to a more exclusive market of connoisseurs and collectors. Because it took several years for the series to be completed, it is likely that individual images were sold separately. The series was also sold in sets for devotional use, and was widely copied by other printmakers and in other media. |
Associated objects | |
Bibliographic references |
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Other number | B.6 - Le Peintre-Graveur |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.4637-1910 |
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Record created | June 30, 2009 |
Record URL |
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