The Lamentation, from "The Small Passion"

The Lamentation, from "The Small Passion" by Albrecht Dürer, dating from 1509-1510, is a masterful example of German Renaissance woodcut technique. This powerful devotional print depicts the emotional aftermath of the Crucifixion, focusing on the moment of Lamentation-the mourning over the dead body of Christ before the burial.

The work belongs to Dürer’s celebrated series, The Small Passion, comprising 36 highly detailed prints. This comprehensive series utilized smaller wood blocks than his earlier projects, allowing Dürer to intensify the focus on narrative detail and widely disseminate images of key biblical events to a broad European audience. As a woodcut, the medium allowed for mass reproducibility, making such religious prints highly accessible during the early 16th century.

The composition centers on the figures clustered around the deceased Christ. Mary, the Mater Dolorosa, collapses in grief and is supported by attendants, while John the Evangelist supports the head of the Savior. Dürer’s technical genius is evident in the intricate handling of light and shadow, achieved through precise cross-hatching to define the figures, the detailed musculature of Christ, and the heavy folds of the drapery.

The immense demand for Dürer’s prints solidified his status as one of the most important figures in the history of printmaking. Impressions of The Lamentation survive in numerous major collections, attesting to its popularity and historical impact. This specific impression is housed in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Reflecting its age and cultural importance, this highly sought-after print is often made available through public domain collections worldwide.