Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, from "The Small Passion"

Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, from "The Small Passion," is a pivotal woodcut created by the German Renaissance master Albrecht Dürer between 1508 and 1509. This striking example of graphic art belongs to Dürer’s influential series, "The Small Passion," which comprised thirty-seven meticulously crafted prints depicting the life and suffering of Christ. Produced during a period of profound artistic and religious change, Dürer's masterful handling of the woodcut medium revolutionized Northern European printmaking, allowing for an unprecedented level of detail and textural richness previously reserved for copper engravings.

The composition focuses intensely on the celebratory entrance of Christ into the city of Jerusalem. The central figure, mounted upon a humble donkey, is framed by the massive architecture of the city’s buildings, which define the background and emphasize the scale of the moment. Devoted men line the pathway and fill the scene, scattering palms before Christ. The inclusion of horses and accompanying riders suggests the size and significance of the procession. Dürer’s skill lies in his ability to imbue this dramatic theological narrative with precise structural detail and realistic human expressions. The wide circulation of these durable prints helped solidify Dürer’s reputation as the preeminent Northern Renaissance artist. Today, the enduring legacy of Christ's Entry into Jerusalem is preserved within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offering essential insight into the development of sequential narrative art. Its status as a historical print often places it within public domain collections, ensuring continued access to this defining era of graphic artistry.