The Man of Sorrows Mocked by a Soldier, Frontispiece to the Great Passion

"The Man of Sorrows Mocked by a Soldier, Frontispiece to the Great Passion" is a foundational woodcut created by the German Renaissance master, Albrecht Dürer, between 1485 and 1528. This powerful print served as the dramatic introductory image, or frontispiece, for Dürer’s renowned series on the suffering of Christ, known as The Great Passion. The existence of a definitive frontispiece allowed Dürer to solidify the series' presentation and narrative structure, elevating the woodcut medium beyond simple illustration into a vehicle for profound artistic expression.

The work focuses intensely on the figure of Christ, depicted here as the Man of Sorrows. Stripped and crowned with thorns, the subject endures cruel humiliation, a universal representation of suffering that resonated deeply with the period's religious devotion. Dürer utilizes intricate, dense line work characteristic of Northern European graphics to maximize the contrast and detail achievable in a woodcut. The psychological burden placed upon Christ is emphasized by the presence of a coarse Roman soldier, who leans in to mock the figure with brutal intimacy.

Dürer’s revolutionary approach to printmaking, demonstrating the ability of woodcuts to handle complex shading and rich narrative detail, significantly influenced subsequent generations of artists across Europe. The masterful handling of the human form and the depiction of the soldiers’ harsh realism exemplify Dürer’s commitment to Renaissance ideals while maintaining a distinct Northern sensibility. This historically important impression of the print is held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of its age and profound cultural significance, this iconic work is often available in the public domain, facilitating broader study of this essential Renaissance print.