The Crucifixion
1497-98
Dürer's dramatic woodcut packs an astonishing amount of emotion into a single scene. Two angels hover beside Christ on the cross, carefully collecting his blood in golden chalices — a striking detail that blends the crucifixion with the Eucharist. Below, the Virgin Mary collapses in grief while Roman soldiers on horseback look on almost indifferently. Notice the sun and moon with human faces in the upper corners, witnessing the event, and the skull at the base of the cross marking Golgotha. Dürer signed this with his famous 'AD' monogram at the bottom — one of the first artists to brand his work like a modern logo. This piece is part of his 'Large Passion' series, which he worked on for years, and it helped establish him as the greatest printmaker of the Northern Renaissance.
- Technique
- Woodcut