The Resurrection

Art Historical Context

Albrecht Altdorfer's *The Resurrection* (1512) captures one of Christianity's most triumphant moments: Christ's rising from the tomb, surrounded by awestruck guards, radiant angels, and the symbolic cross. Created during the Northern Renaissance, this woodcut reflects the era's fervor for religious imagery, when prints like this one democratized art, allowing widespread devotion among pilgrims and the faithful across Europe. As a master of the Danube School, Altdorfer infused his works with dramatic light effects and intricate details, even in the modest scale of this 9 1/16 × 7 in. sheet. Woodcuts, carved into wood blocks and hand-printed with ink, demanded precise craftsmanship to render the ethereal glow of resurrection and the soldiers' dynamic poses. Altdorfer's fine lines create a sense of divine energy bursting forth, blending spiritual narrative with his signature atmospheric depth. Today, this print resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, a gift from Felix M. Warburg in 1920. It exemplifies early 16th-century innovation in printmaking, bridging painting and mass reproduction while evoking the awe of Easter's miracle for modern visitors.

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...