The Descent from the Cross, from "The Small Passion"

The Descent from the Cross, from "The Small Passion" by Albrecht Dürer, is a significant woodcut created between 1509 and 1510. This print belongs to Dürer's renowned series detailing the life and passion of Christ, a project that cemented his reputation as a master graphic artist during the German Renaissance. Unlike his earlier, larger efforts, the images within "The Small Passion" were designed for a smaller, book-like format, requiring Dürer to achieve immense detail and dramatic compression within a constrained visual space. The medium of woodcut requires the artist to carve the negative space out of the block, yet Dürer expertly utilized this demanding technique to produce remarkable tonal variations and textural depths, demonstrating his unparalleled command of graphic prints.

The scene depicts the moment following the Crucifixion, where the lifeless body of Christ is carefully lowered from the Cross. Dürer focuses intense emotional attention on the grieving figures surrounding the base of the structure, using sharp black lines and deep shadows to heighten the pathos. The weight and inertness of the body of Christ contrasts sharply with the frantic movement and anguish of the mourners below. This detailed and affecting handling of religious subject matter exemplifies Dürer’s powerful contribution to devotional imagery during his era. As one of the most widely recognized masters of the Renaissance, Dürer ensured his visual narratives reached a broad audience through mass-produced prints. Today, this important example of German Renaissance printmaking is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, serving as a key reference for studying the history of graphic arts and religious iconography in the early 16th century.