The Flagellation, from "The Small Passion"

The Flagellation, from "The Small Passion" is a seminal woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer in 1509. This piece belongs to Dürer's influential series of thirty-seven prints detailing the life of Christ, known collectively as The Small Passion. Produced early in the sixteenth century, this work exemplifies the High Renaissance style in Germany and showcases Dürer's revolutionary approach to the woodcut medium, transforming it from a simple illustrative technique into a vehicle for profound dramatic expression.

The composition centers on the bound figure of Christ, who is positioned tightly between two massive classical columns that anchor the turbulent scene. Dürer maximizes the dramatic tension by crowding the figures; muscular Men, the executioners, surround Christ, wielding whips and forcing the viewer into the immediate, painful moment. Unlike earlier, static depictions of the subject, Dürer emphasizes motion and psychological anguish through the intricate network of lines characteristic of his masterful prints. The contrast between the monumental architectural setting and the chaotic brutality surrounding the suffering Christ enhances the intensity of the narrative.

This exceptional example of Northern Renaissance graphic art is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. As one of the most widely circulated series of its time, The Small Passion significantly contributed to Dürer’s international fame as a master printmaker. Because this historic image is now in the public domain, reproductions and scholarly studies of these complex woodcuts remain highly accessible worldwide.