Christ before Annas

"Christ before Annas" by Albrecht Dürer is a powerful woodcut print created between 1509 and 1510. Executed on laid paper, this work exemplifies the revolutionary quality of German printmaking during the crucial period of 1501 to 1550, which saw the democratization of fine art through reproducible media. The piece belongs to Dürer’s monumental series, The Great Passion, demonstrating his mastery of the woodblock technique.

As a leading figure of the Northern Renaissance, Dürer elevated the status of the print medium, utilizing it to convey complex narratives with an unprecedented level of detail and emotional depth. The subject matter depicts the dramatic moment when Christ is brought before the high priest Annas following his arrest. Dürer carefully orchestrates the scene, contrasting the spiritual calm of Christ with the agitated figures of his captors and accusers. The dense patterning and sharp contrasts achieved through skillful cross-hatching emphasize the dramatic tension, drawing the viewer’s eye toward the central figures despite the chaos surrounding them. This sophisticated manipulation of light and shadow demonstrates why Dürer is considered one of history’s greatest graphic artists.

This specific impression of the renowned woodcut is held within the collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., preserving a significant example of early 16th-century German artistic achievement. Dürer’s extensive production of woodcut prints was instrumental in the dissemination of Renaissance iconography across Europe. Due to the historical age and recognized importance of this work, high-quality images of this masterpiece are frequently made available to scholars and the public through public domain repositories.