Christ in Emmaus, from "The Small Passion"

Christ in Emmaus, from "The Small Passion," by Albrecht Dürer, is a profound example of Northern Renaissance graphic arts, executed circa 1510. This intimate scene is one of 37 illustrations comprising Dürer's highly influential woodcut series known as The Small Passion. Unlike his monumental copperplate engravings, this collection utilized the less expensive and more readily reproducible woodcut technique, allowing the prints to be widely circulated throughout Europe and democratizing access to high-quality religious art.

The work depicts the climactic moment described in the Gospel of Luke, following Christ’s resurrection, when he reveals his identity to two disciples during a shared meal in Emmaus. The composition focuses intently on the three figures gathered around the dining table, highlighting the astonishment of the two men as they recognize their resurrected Lord breaking bread. Dürer’s mastery of the woodcut medium is evident in the intricate cross-hatching and subtle shading he achieves, lending textural richness and depth to the interior setting and the dramatic expressions of the figures. This dense line work transforms the seemingly simple medium into a powerful vehicle for complex narrative storytelling and emotional resonance.

As one of the most significant series of devotional prints of the sixteenth century, Dürer’s The Small Passion played a critical role in shaping religious imagery in the Reformation era. Dürer's ability to condense dramatic scenes into small-format prints made them immensely popular among lay audiences. The original prints from this celebrated series, including Christ in Emmaus, are held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of their age and cultural significance, high-resolution images of these seminal works are often available in the public domain, ensuring scholars worldwide continued access to Dürer’s visionary narrative prints.