The Last Supper, from "The Large Passion"

The Last Supper, from "The Large Passion" by Albrecht Dürer, is a profound print created in 1511. This work is executed in the demanding medium of woodcut, demonstrating the German Renaissance artist's unparalleled skill in handling the black-and-white graphic arts. It forms a key component of the monumental series The Large Passion, one of Dürer's three great printed cycles illustrating the life and suffering of Christ.

The composition depicts the central moment of the Last Supper, specifically focusing on the revelation by Christ that one of the men present will betray him. Unlike earlier Renaissance depictions that often emphasized the solemn institution of the Eucharist, Dürer captures the dramatic tension and confusion among the apostles. The twelve men crowd around the table, reacting with varying degrees of shock and dismay to Christ’s pronouncement. Dürer elevates the humble medium of the woodcut, using complex cross-hatching and subtle variations in line density to suggest volume and shadow, a technique typically reserved for copperplate engraving.

This commitment to detail in the 1511 series underscores Dürer's technical innovation, pushing the boundaries of what was achievable in relief printing. The widespread distribution of such high-quality religious prints throughout Europe ensured that Dürer’s interpretations of these key biblical events shaped popular visual culture during the German Renaissance. This impression of The Last Supper continues to serve as an essential reference point for the study of Dürer’s mastery of the graphic arts, and it is held in the renowned collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.