Ecce Homo, from the series The Large Passion

Ecce Homo, from the series The Large Passion by Albrecht Dürer, is a profoundly impactful German Renaissance woodcut created between 1493 and 1504. This powerful print captures the moment Christ is presented to the people by Pontius Pilate, exemplifying the heightened emotional and religious intensity characteristic of late fifteenth and early sixteenth-century northern European art. As a master of the woodcut medium, Dürer utilized the inherent contrast of the black lines against the white ground to maximize dramatic effect.

The scene focuses intimately on the figure of Christ (a key subject), bound and crowned with thorns, embodying suffering and humility. Surrounding Christ are the tumultuous crowds of Men demanding his crucifixion. Dürer’s meticulous engraving style, despite the limitations of the woodcut technique, achieves extraordinary detail in the faces, drapery, and architectural elements, showcasing the revolutionary advancements Dürer brought to the printmaking process. The complete series, The Large Passion, remains one of the defining achievements of Dürer’s early career. This print, along with others from the series, demonstrates the unprecedented ability of the medium to disseminate religious narratives to a wide audience. Today, fine prints of this important work are held in major institutions globally, including this impression housed in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.