The Lamentation, from "The Passion"

The Lamentation, from "The Passion," created by Albrecht Dürer in 1507, stands as a seminal example of German Renaissance printmaking and narrative religious art. Executed in the demanding medium of engraving, Dürer achieved an exceptional level of detail and emotional intensity through precise line work, masterful contouring, and dense cross-hatching. This powerful image belongs to a larger narrative cycle focused on the suffering and sacrifice of Christ, demonstrating Dürer's technical maturation during his early sixteenth-century output.

The composition centers on the profound grief of the immediate followers of Christ following his removal from the cross. The central iconography focuses on the traditional Lamentation, showing a crowded grouping of distressed Men and Women mourning the dead body laid out on a shroud in the foreground. Dürer skillfully handles the weight and volume of the figures, channeling the viewers’ attention to the anguish etched on the faces of the Virgin Mary and other figures present.

In the background, narrative elements crucial to the scene remain visible, notably the cross dominating the upper register and the Ladders, which lean against the wood, used in the preceding deposition. This high-quality print exemplifies Dürer's technical mastery and his genius for combining emotional depth with Renaissance compositional rigor. Today, this masterwork is part of the distinguished collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it serves as a cornerstone piece for studying early modern German prints. Like many significant religious works from this era, versions are often available through public domain collections, ensuring broad accessibility to Dürer's foundational visual vocabulary.