The Man of Sorrows Mocked by a Soldier, title page to "The Large Passion"

The Man of Sorrows Mocked by a Soldier, title page to "The Large Passion," created by Albrecht Dürer in 1511, serves as the powerful frontispiece to his renowned series of woodcut prints documenting the life and suffering of Christ. This work exemplifies Dürer’s unparalleled mastery of the graphic arts during the German Renaissance, showcasing how he elevated the woodcut medium from a functional craft to a vehicle for profound artistic expression. Dating to the height of his career, the image sets the somber, dramatic tone for the ensuing narrative sequence of The Large Passion.

The composition focuses intently on the devotional subject of the Man of Sorrows, depicting Christ immediately following the flagellation and coronation with thorns. Dürer concentrates the viewer’s attention on the intense humiliation as one of the menacing soldiers, representatives of the group of men responsible for the Passion, aggressively taunts Christ. The meticulous carving and dramatic contrast between the stark black lines and open white space, characteristic of a finely executed woodcut, amplify the suffering expressed by Christ. Dürer’s technical genius ensured that even in a reproducible medium, the image conveyed both physical realism and intense spiritual immediacy.

As a key component of the celebrated print series, this work solidified Dürer’s standing as one of Europe’s most influential artists and highlights his significant role in disseminating complex religious narratives to a wide audience through mass media. This historic print is preserved within the extensive collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Like many Renaissance prints of this era, the antiquity and historical importance of the piece mean that high-resolution images are frequently released into the public domain by institutional archives, ensuring broad access for scholarship and appreciation.