Basic Information

Historical Context

A woodcut from the Large Passion series depicting the nailing of Christ to the cross. This graphic depiction of physical suffering was characteristic of Northern European Passion imagery. [Inferred from Dürer Catalog] Visual Description Christ's body is stretched on the cross while soldiers hammer nails through his hands and feet. The Virgin Mary and other mourners watch from one side. The scene is set against a landscape background. The composition conveys both physical brutality and sacred solemnity. Artistic Analysis Dürer's unflinching depiction of the crucifixion reflects the Northern European tradition of devotional realism. The physical details of the nailing — the spread arms, the strained muscles, the falling hammer — create a scene of almost unbearable intensity while maintaining the sacred context of the event.