Christ Before Caiaphas, from "The Small Passion"

Christ Before Caiaphas, from The Small Passion by Albrecht Dürer, is a significant woodcut print executed between 1508 and 1509. This dramatic scene is one of 37 subjects comprising Dürer's influential The Small Passion series, a collection designed to illustrate the life and suffering of Christ for a broad audience through the affordable and highly reproducible medium of the print. The technical refinement exhibited in this work demonstrates the German Renaissance master’s dedication to elevating the quality and complexity of the woodcut technique.

The composition captures the dramatic moment when the bound Christ stands before the high priest Caiaphas following his arrest. Dürer emphasizes the isolation of Christ by surrounding him with hostile figures. A crowd of Men, including mocking witnesses and armored Roman Soldiers, dominate the foreground, creating a turbulent atmosphere of judgment and accusation. As is often typical in Dürer’s narrative prints, minute details, such as the incidental Animals tucked into the lower corner, anchor the biblical drama within a highly realized, believable setting.

As a seminal work of early German graphic arts, this piece circulated widely, establishing Dürer's reputation throughout Europe and influencing subsequent generations of printmakers. The masterful arrangement of lines creates deep shadows and highlights, showcasing the artist's ingenuity in using stark black and white contrasts to achieve depth. This powerful impression of the woodcut resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a critical example of historical prints from the period. Due to its historical importance, this image is frequently referenced in art history and is widely accessible through public domain collections.