Christ Before Annas
1521
Medium
Engraving; first state
Dimensions
sheet: 4 1/2 x 3 in. (11.4 x 7.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Anne & Carl Stern Gift, 1960
Accession Number
60.552.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intimate engraving *Christ Before Annas* (1521), Dutch artist Lucas van Leyden a pivotal moment from the Passion of Christ: Jesus, bound and surrounded by soldiers, stands before the high priest Annas in a dimly lit chamber. Van Leyden, a Leiden-born prodigy (1494–1533) and one of the Northern Renaissance's finest engravers, drew inspiration from Albrecht Dürer while developing his own crisp, narrative style. This first-state impression—before any later alterations—preserves the artist's purest vision, making it a prized rarity. Measuring just 4½ x 3 inches, the work showcases van Leyd...
About the Artist
Lucas van Leyden · 1484–1533
Lucas van Leyden (1494–1533) was a Dutch painter and printmaker who stands among the greatest engravers of the Northern Renaissance. Born in Leiden as either Lucas Hugensz or Lucas Jacobsz, he lived and worked primarily in his native city, achieving international renown that rivaled the German master Albrecht Dürer. Lucas van Leyden revolutionized Netherlandish printmaking and was among the first...