Artwork
Calvary with the Three Crosses
Calvary with the Three Crosses is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1504 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in block, bottom center, on tablet: AD [artist's monogram]; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: B. 59 / D. 26; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: 394 [encircled]
About this work
Overview
Calvary with the Three Crosses is a woodcut print on laid paper created by Albrecht Dürer around 1504.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts the Crucifixion, with Jesus on the central cross, flanked by two thieves, and a crowd gathered below. Mary is shown at the base of the hill, her face contorted in sorrow.
Technique & Style
Dürer employed fine lines to achieve deep shadows, with light falling on Jesus' body while the thieves remain in darkness. The use of chiaroscuro creates a dramatic effect.
Context
As a woodcut, the print was created by carving a design into a wooden block, allowing for mass production. This technique was characteristic of Dürer's work and enabled the widespread dissemination of his art.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Dürer spent his life in Nuremberg, a busy German city where artists traded prints like currency.
![Madonna and Child [obverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--madonna-and-child-obverse--d7b8ebf05d22ebe5-w320.webp)
![Lot and His Daughters [reverse], by Albrecht Dürer](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/albrecht-durer--lot-and-his-daughters-reverse--b4ebf9b282faa17a-w320.webp)
