Raising of the Cross

c. 1513

Albrecht Altdorfer

Associated Names
Albrecht Altdorfer

Artist, German, 1480 or before - 1538

This is a drawing of a crucifixion scene. The image depicts a figure on a cross being lifted by a group of armored figures with spears, surrounded by a structured arrangement of other people and weapons. The overall style of the drawing is dense and intricate. The scene is dynamic, with numerous figures in various poses engaging with the central action of raising the cross. The attention to detail in the lines and the contrasts between light and dark create a sense of depth and movement. The drawing captures the drama and intensity of the scene, with the multitude of spears and the expressions of the figures adding to the complexity of the composition.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    block: 7.2 × 4.9 cm (2 13/16 × 1 15/16 in.)
    sheet: 7.5 × 5.1 cm (2 15/16 × 2 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.354

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. w. 29

  • Series Title

    The Fall and Redemption of Man

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald [1891-1979], Jenkintown, PA, 1929; gift to NGA, 1943.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1963

  • Winzinger, Franz. Albrecht Altdorfer, Graphik: Holzschnitte, Kupferstiche, Radierungen. Munich: R.Piper and Co., 1963, no. 54.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Albrecht Aldorfer, Ursula Mielke, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. w. 29.

Wikidata ID

Q64952485

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