Christ, Man of Sorrows, Mocked by a Soldier, from The Large Passion

Christ, Man of Sorrows, Mocked by a Soldier, from The Large Passion is a monumental woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer German, 1471-1528 in 1511. Executed in black on cream laid paper, this powerful composition is one of the eleven plates that form Dürer’s celebrated series, The Large Passion. This cycle of prints marked a critical achievement in the artist’s prolific career, demonstrating his revolutionary approach to the relief medium.

The scene depicts Christ, crowned with thorns and bearing the attributes of the Man of Sorrows, confronting the taunts of a Roman soldier. Dürer maximizes the dramatic potential of the encounter, confining the figures within a tight vertical space that emphasizes Christ's profound suffering and stoic isolation. Unlike earlier woodcuts, Dürer employs remarkably fine, intricate line work and sophisticated cross-hatching, techniques traditionally reserved for engraving. This precision allows him to modulate light, define complex textures, and achieve a depth that solidified his status as the leading graphic artist of the German Renaissance.

Produced during a period when reproducible prints were essential for disseminating religious imagery and doctrine, The Large Passion was critical to Dürer’s fame both within Germany and internationally. The series ensured that these devotional works reached a massive audience. Today, the enduring impact of this work is recognized globally; this specific impression is held in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, providing scholars and the public an exceptional view into Dürer's masterful handling of the woodcut technique.