The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist

Art Historical Context

Albrecht Altdorfer’s 1512 woodcut, *The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist*, vividly portrays a dramatic biblical moment. In this compact sheet measuring roughly 8 by 6 inches, the artist presents the saint kneeling before his executioner amid a group of onlookers. The scene draws viewers into the tension of the event through carefully arranged figures and expressive gestures. Created during the Northern Renaissance, the woodcut medium allowed artists like Altdorfer to produce multiple impressions from a single carved block. This technique helped spread religious stories and artistic ideas more widely than paintings alone could achieve. The small size suggests the print may have been intended for personal devotion or inclusion in books of hours. Today, this work resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of Drawings and Prints. It stands as a fine example of how early sixteenth-century printmakers combined technical skill with storytelling to make sacred narratives accessible to a broader audience.

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...