Christ Nailed to the Cross
c. 1513
Medium
woodcut on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 7.1 × 4.8 cm (2 13/16 × 1 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.353
Art Historical Context
Behold Albrecht Altdor's poignant woodcut * Nailed to the Cross (c. 151), a masterful example of Renaissance printmaking. Measuring mere 7.1 4.8 cm on laid paper, this tiny captures the harrowing moment of Christ's crucifixion preparation, rendered with exquisite detail through the woodcut technique—where the artist carves away negative space from a woodblock, inking the raised surfaces for impression. Altdorfer, a leading figure of the Danube School in early 16th-century Germany blended intricate line work with emotional intensity, making religious subjects accessible to a wide audience. Woo...
About the Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer · 1475–1538
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...