The Flagellation, from "The Small Passion"

The Flagellation, from "The Small Passion," by Albrecht Dürer, is a dramatic 1509 woodcut print that captures one of the most agonizing moments of Christ's sacrifice. This piece belongs to the influential series known as The Small Passion, comprising 36 separate images and a title page, which Dürer completed around 1511. Unlike his larger-scale print cycles, this series was designed for devotional use and required an intricate, condensed style suited for a smaller format.

Dürer’s technical mastery of the woodcut medium is strikingly evident in the dense black lines and sharp contrasts he employs. The claustrophobic composition centers Christ, bound to the column, surrounded by his menacing tormentors (Men). The detailed rendering of the musculature and the dramatic shadows intensify the violence of the scene, compelling the viewer to focus on the central suffering figure. The artist carefully balances the classical idealization of the figure of Christ with the grim realism of the physical abuse he endures.

Executed during the height of the Northern Renaissance, Dürer utilized prints like this to disseminate sophisticated artistic ideas across Europe, meeting the growing public demand for accessible religious art. The Small Passion remains one of Dürer’s most widely circulated and significant series. This impression of the work is held within the esteemed collection of prints and drawings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of the series' age and historical importance, high-quality images of these seminal woodcuts are often found within the public domain, ensuring Dürer’s profound contribution to printmaking continues to be studied globally.