The Crucifixion
1511
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to platemark): 11.8 × 7.6 cm (4 5/8 × 3 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.3502
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer, a towering figure of the Northern Renaissance, created *The Crucifixion* 1511 as part of his influential *Small Passion* series of engravings. This work, measuring just 11.8 × 7.6 cm, captures the pivotal Christian scene of Christ's death on the cross amid mourning figures, rendered with Dürer's signature precision. Produced during a time of religious fervor in early 16th-century Germany, it reflects the era's intense devotion to biblical narratives, blending spiritual gravity with humanist detail. Dürer's mastery of engraving shines here: using a burin to incise fine lines in...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...