Christ Purifying the Temple, from Speculum passionis domini nostri Ihesu Christi
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 3/8 × 6 3/8 in. (23.8 × 16.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Junius S. Morgan, 1919
Accession Number
19.52.37
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the woodcut *Christ Purifying the Temple* from the 1507 devotional book *Speculum passionis domini nostri Ihesu Christi* ("Mirror of the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ"), Hans Schäufelein captures a dramatic biblical moment from the Gospel of John. Christ, whip in hand, drives out the money changers and merchants from the Jerusalem Temple, overturning tables in a bold act of righteous anger against corruption. This scene, surrounded by bustling figures of men and women, vividly illustrates themes of spiritual purity and divine authority, making it a powerful meditation for Renaissance vie...
About the Artist
Hans Schäufelein|Ulrich Pinder|Friedrich Peypus · 1480–1540
Hans Schäufelein (c. 1480–c. 1540) was a German painter and graphic artist of the Northern Renaissance whose career placed him at the heart of one of the most dynamic artistic environments in European history. As a young man, he entered the workshop of Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg, an experience that proved decisive: Dürer's meticulous approach to draughtsmanship, his mastery of printmaking, and hi...