The Betrayal of Christ
Print
1508 (engraved)
1508 (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 format 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 the series was issued over several years, it is likely that individual images were sold separately. It 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 | The Betrayal of Christ (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Engraving on paper |
Brief description | Engraving by Albrecht Dürer, 'The Betrayal of Christ'; 1508, Nuremberg. Third plate from the series 'The Engraved Passion'. Date and artist's monogram inscribed at bottom middle. |
Physical description | Engraving by Albrecht Dürer, 'The Betrayal of Christ'; 1508, Nuremberg. Third plate in the series 'The Engraved Passion'. Date and artist's monogram inscribed in a cartouche at bottom middle '1508 AD'. Christ receives Judas' kiss of betrayal, in the midst of a fierce fight between his disciples and the soldiers of the High Priest Caiaphas. A noose is about to be placed around his neck and in the foreground, Saint Peter raises his sword to slice off the ear of Caiaphas' servant Malchus, pinioned before him. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Marks and inscriptions | '1508 AD' (Date and artist's monogram inscribed at bottom middle) |
Credit line | Salting Bequest |
Historical context | Third plate in 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 format 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 the series was issued over several years, it is likely that individual images were sold separately. It 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.5 - Le Peintre-Graveur |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.4636-1910 |
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Record created | June 30, 2009 |
Record URL |
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