The Man of Sorrows, from "The Passion"

The Man of Sorrows, from "The Passion" by Albrecht Dürer is a profound copperplate engraving executed in 1509, forming a key component of the artist’s renowned print series documenting the suffering and sacrifice of Christ. As a central master of the German Renaissance, Dürer utilized the inherent reproducibility of the print medium to elevate engraving from mere illustration to an expressive, independent art form capable of unprecedented detail and depth.

The scene focuses intensely on the figure of Christ as the Vir dolorum (Man of Sorrows), a devotional type popular during the late Middle Ages. This stark depiction encapsulates profound human sadness and divine endurance, showing Christ standing exposed, bearing the wounds of the Flagellation and the Crown of Thorns. The intense focus on the grieving face and the careful rendering of the male physique emphasize the bodily suffering experienced by Christ. Dürer’s technical brilliance is evident in the meticulous use of crosshatching and precise line work, which define form and texture while creating dramatic contrasts of light and shadow.

This print is recognized globally as a foundational example of Northern European Renaissance graphic arts and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dürer masterfully leveraged the accessibility of engravings to disseminate this potent devotional imagery widely across Europe. Due to the historical age and importance of the work, high-quality prints derived from the original plate are often made available through public domain archives, ensuring that modern audiences continue to have access to this seminal representation of Christian theology.