Pilate Washing His Hands, from "The Small Passion"

Pilate Washing His Hands, from "The Small Passion" is a powerful woodcut created by the German master Albrecht Dürer in 1509. This piece belongs to the critically acclaimed series of prints known as "The Small Passion," distinguished by their smaller format compared to Dürer’s earlier, grand cycles. Produced at the height of the Northern Renaissance, the print showcases the artist’s revolutionary ability to translate complex narratives and detailed texture into the exacting medium of the woodcut.

The scene depicts Pontius Pilate publicly absolving himself of responsibility for Christ’s condemnation, a symbolic moment of legal and moral evasion. Dürer focuses the composition on Pilate, centrally positioned at an elaborate basin where he performs the ritual washing of his hands. To the right, Christ, stripped of his garments, stands awaiting his fate, flanked by Roman soldiers and other men observing the judgment. Dürer utilizes deep black lines and dramatic hatching to create sharp contrasts and psychological weight, characteristic of his mature prints. This mastery of line elevates the relatively common subject matter, making the work a critical study in moral authority and institutional failure.

As one of the most significant visual artists of his era, Dürer ensured that his prints circulated widely, contributing substantially to the accessibility of religious imagery in the early 16th century. This specific impression is held within the esteemed prints collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the age and enduring importance of these Pilate Washing His Hands woodcuts, high-resolution reproductions of this work, like many of Dürer’s foundational prints, are often available for study and reference in the public domain.