Christ before Annas, from "The Small Passion"

Christ before Annas, from "The Small Passion" is a seminal woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer between 1508 and 1509. This particular impression belongs to The Small Passion, a major series comprising thirty-six woodcut prints chronicling the life and suffering of Christ. Produced during the height of the German Renaissance, this ambitious collection exemplifies Dürer’s mastery of the xylography medium, transforming the relatively coarse woodcut into a sophisticated vehicle for dramatic narrative. The widespread availability and sheer quality of the prints in this series helped solidify Dürer’s international reputation, bringing his complex artistry to a broad public across Europe.

The scene depicts the moment Christ, following his arrest, is brought before the high priest Annas. Dürer focuses intently on the visual tension between the two central men, using sharp contrasts and meticulously controlled networks of line to achieve striking depth and texture characteristic of his woodcut technique. Annas sits elevated and authoritative, surrounded by scribes and guards, while Christ stands subdued but resolute, radiating a quiet dignity despite the harsh judgment of his captors who crowd the background. This attention to detail and human drama allows the artist to draw the viewer directly into the sacred narrative of the Passion.

As one of the most revered German Renaissance masters, Dürer ensured his artistic legacy extended widely through these reproducible media. The extensive circulation of these religious prints made his interpretations of biblical history standard visual reference points throughout the 16th century. This fine example of Christ before Annas is preserved in the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where many of Dürer’s significant woodcuts and prints are held, offering invaluable access to his foundational work which often exists within the public domain today.