Who painted Christ before Herod?

Christ before Herod was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1509.

Where can I see Christ before Herod?

Christ before Herod is held by British Museum.

What movement is Christ before Herod?

Christ before Herod is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Christ before Herod?

Museum-quality prints of Christ before Herod are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Christ before Herod

Albrecht Dürer , 1509

Christ before Herod is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1509 and is held in the collection of the British Museum.

Inscription: Inscribed:in block, lower left, on tablet: 1509 / AD [artist's monogram]; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: 627; verso, bottom left, in graphite by a later hand: B 32; verso, bottom center, in graphite by a later hand: 17

About this work

Subject & Meaning

Christ before Herod is a religious woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, dated 1509, that belongs to his Little Passion series.

Christ before Herod is a religious woodcut by Albrecht Dürer, dated 1509, that belongs to his Little Passion series. The print depicts the episode from the New Testament in which Jesus Christ is brought before Herod the Great for judgment, a moment drawn from the Passion narrative.

As a devotional image, the work functions within the traditional iconography of the Passion cycle, presenting Christ before secular authority as a step toward crucifixion. Dürer's religious prints were intended to communicate scriptural events to viewers through clear narrative imagery, and this scene of Christ's interrogation by Herod forms one of the sequential episodes in that devotional sequence. The subject underscores themes of unjust judgment and the fulfillment of prophecy, central to the Passion story.

Technique & Style

Printed on paper using woodcut technique, the work measures 95 cm in width and 124 cm in height. It belongs to the Little Passion series and exemplifies German Renaissance style through its precise line work and narrative clarity. The composition depicts Jesus before Herod, drawing on New Testament themes.

The print is housed in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., as part of the Rosenwald Collection.

History & Provenance

Christ before Herod is a woodcut print created by Albrecht Dürer in 1509 as part of his Little Passion series. The work measures 124 cm in height and 95 cm in width and depicts Jesus standing before Herod the Great.

Its early ownership included Joseph Daniel Böhm of Vienna and later Robert Scholtz in Budapest. The print entered the collection of William Schab in New York before being acquired by Lessing J. Rosenwald in 1940. It was subsequently gifted to the National Gallery of Art in 1943 where it remains in the Rosenwald Collection of prints.

The work is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Rosenwald Collection. It was acquired by Lessing J. Rosenwald in 1940 and subsequently gifted to the museum in 1943. The National Gallery of Art lists this specific impression in its Prints collection.

While the British Museum also holds prints from the same series, the provided sources confirm the specific provenance and current location of this 1509 impression at the National Gallery of Art. No specific exhibition history or accession number is detailed in the available records.

Legacy

Christ before Herod exerted enduring influence through its role in shaping religious print imagery and scholarly discourse on Dürer's biblical series. As part of the Little Passion cycle, the work informed later treatments of Christ's trial before Herod, inspiring interpretations across Renaissance and modern art historical studies. Its inclusion in major collections such as the National Gallery of Art and British Museum cemented its reputation as a key example of German Renaissance graphic art.

The print's provenance, including acquisition by Rosenwald and donation to the National Gallery of Art, reflects its recognized cultural significance.

Overview

Christ before Herod is a woodcut print created by Albrecht Dürer in 1509, featuring a pivotal religious scene.

Context

Part of Dürer's religious oeuvre, this woodcut reflects the artist's exploration of biblical themes through early printmaking techniques.