Christ on the Cross

c. 1485

German 15th Century

Associated Names
German 15th Century

Artist

This is a drawing of a crucifixion scene. It features a central wooden cross with a man's figure nailed to it, wearing a crown of thorns and a cloth around his waist. Above the man's head is a plaque with the inscription "INRI." Two other figures with ornate halos stand on either side of the cross. One figure appears to be grieving with bowed head and clasped hands, while the other looks upward. The background includes flora patches, and there are symbolic illustrations in elaborate frames in the image's corners. The style is characteristic of medieval or early Renaissance religious art, focusing on line work and a limited color palette.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut, hand-colored in brown, tan, ochre, olive,and red on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 22 × 14.4 cm (8 11/16 × 5 11/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.736

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Schreiber, Vol. IX, no. 397, State m

Artwork history & notes

Exhibition History

1965

  • Fifteenth-Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art, NGA, 1965-1966, no. 60, repro.

Bibliography

1926

  • Schreiber, Wilhelm Ludwig. Handbuch de Holz- und Metailschnitte des XV Jahrhunderts. 8 vols. Leipzig: Verlag Karl W. Hierseman, 1926-1930.

1965

  • Field, Richard S. Fifteenth Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. Exh. cat. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1965.

Watermarks

to be identified

Wikidata ID

Q64953287

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