Christ before Caiaphas, from "The Passion"

Christ before Caiaphas, from "The Passion" is a pivotal engraving executed by Albrecht Dürer in 1512. This print belongs to Dürer’s renowned Engraved Passion, a series of sixteen copperplate engravings completed between 1507 and 1513. The demanding technique of copperplate engraving allowed Dürer to achieve remarkable precision and depth in his shadows, hallmarks of his mastery as a Renaissance printmaker. The composition captures the dramatic moment of Christ’s trial before the Jewish high priest, Caiaphas, illustrating a key narrative moment in the biblical cycle of Christ’s suffering.

The scene is characterized by a powerful, almost claustrophobic intensity, focusing on the confrontation between Christ and his accusers. Dürer’s careful arrangement of figures emphasizes the psychological drama; Christ stands passively yet resolutely center-left, surrounded by aggressive soldiers and a crowd of antagonistic men who participate in the proceedings. The high priest Caiaphas typically dominates the space, seated upon a high, elaborate dais. This work showcases the German Renaissance artist's innovative approach to narrative prints, where complex emotional states are conveyed through subtle facial expressions and dynamic poses. The detail provided by the engraving medium ensured that this depiction of religious drama was widely accessible and influential, cementing Dürer’s status as a preeminent 16th-century artist.

As a vital example of Northern European Renaissance printmaking, this powerful image remains an object of intense study. This specific impression is held in the permanent collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Given its age and cultural significance, this fine engraving, like many of Dürer’s masterful prints, is widely accessible for scholarship and appreciation through public domain resources, allowing countless viewers to study the sophisticated techniques of this influential master.