description The Large Passion: Crucifixion (Dürer, c.1497) Overview
Albrecht Dürer’s “The Crucifixion” (c.1497) is a woodcut from his influential Large Passion series. This work depicts the scene of Christ's crucifixion with stark realism and expressive detail characteristic of Renaissance German art. The image showcases Dürer's mastery of woodcut technique, creating a powerful visual representation of a key religious event. It’s valued by art historians and those interested in early Northern European prints and the development of religious imagery during this period.
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The Large Passion: Crucifixion (Dürer, c.1497) ranks #43 of 220 in the Woodcut ranking, behind Albrecht Dürer - The Four Angels of Death, ahead of Toshusai Sharaku - Ichikawa Ebizo IV as Takemura Sadanoshin.
Major Large Passion sheet, strong religious drama and craft, widely admired within Durer's devotional woodcuts.
help The Large Passion: Crucifixion (Dürer, c.1497) FAQ
Is Dürer's Large Passion Crucifixion dated 1497 or 1498?
Museums generally date the woodcut to around 1497-1498, so both years appear in catalog records. The National Gallery of Art uses 1497/1498, while the Metropolitan Museum of Art lists 1498.
Was The Crucifixion printed as part of a book?
Dürer initially issued early Large Passion images as individual woodcuts without accompanying text. The complete Large Passion was published as a book in 1511 with Latin verses printed on the reverse of the images.
How many woodcuts are in Dürer's Large Passion?
The completed Large Passion comprises 12 woodcuts, including a title page. Dürer produced seven of the narrative images between 1497 and 1500 and added further blocks around 1510.
How can an original Dürer woodcut exist in several museums?
A woodcut is a relief-printing process, so Dürer's carved block could produce multiple impressions on paper. Museums including the Met, Cleveland Museum of Art and National Gallery of Art therefore hold different impressions of The Crucifixion rather than the unique wooden drawing itself.
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