Artwork
The Lamentation
The Lamentation is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1507 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in plate, bottom left, on stone: 1507 / AD [artist's monogram]; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: 10 [upside down]; verso, bottom center, in graphite by a later hand: B.14; verso, bottom left, in graphite by a later hand: NR [?] 25146
- Markings
- Marked:none
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Albrecht Dürer's 1507 engraving depicts the Lamentation of Christ, a religious scene derived from the New Testament narratives of the Passion.
Albrecht Dürer's 1507 engraving depicts the Lamentation of Christ, a religious scene derived from the New Testament narratives of the Passion. The work focuses on Jesus Christ as its central figure, representing the moment of mourning following his crucifixion. As part of a larger Passion series, the image serves as a visual meditation on the suffering and death of Jesus, adhering to the iconographic traditions of German Renaissance religious art.
The composition emphasizes the emotional weight of the event through the depiction of the deceased savior, inviting viewers to reflect on the theological significance of the sacrifice.
Technique & Style
The Lamentation is an engraving on laid paper created by Albrecht Dürer in 1507 as part of his Passion series, depicting the Lamentation of Christ from the New Testament. The work measures 116 cm in height and 71 cm in width. It is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it has been part of the Rosenwald Collection since 1943, having previously entered the collection of Arthur Friederich Theodor Bohnenberger in Stuttgart and been acquired by Lessing J. Rosenwald in 1928.
The print exemplifies German Renaissance techniques, characterized by fine line work and nuanced tonal modeling in the engraving medium.
History & Provenance
The engraving was made in 1507.
It entered the Brentano-Birckenstock Collection in Vienna and Frankfurt, later passing through Arthur Friederich Theodor Bohnenberger in Stuttgart. It was acquired in 1928 by Lessing J. Rosenwald in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, and subsequently given by him to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., in 1943.
A version of Albrecht Dürer's engraving The Lamentation is held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it forms part of the Rosenwald Collection. This specific impression was acquired by Lessing J. Rosenwald in 1928 from the previous owners, the Brentano-Birckenstock Collection and the estate of Arthur Friederich Theodor Bohnenberger. Rosenwald subsequently gifted the work to the National Gallery of Art in 1943, assigning it to their Prints collection.
Other institutional holdings of this print include the Chester Beatty Library, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The provided sources do not list specific exhibition dates or titles for this work.
Context
Albrecht Dürer's The Lamentation is a significant print from the German Renaissance, created as part of his series on the Passion of Christ. Produced between 1504 and 1507, the engraving depicts the Lamentation of Christ, a subject drawn from the New Testament. The work is held in major public institutions including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, reflecting its established importance in art historical collections.
Its inclusion in such prominent repositories underscores its status as a key example of Dürer's printmaking achievements during this period.
Overview
The Lamentation is an engraving on laid paper created by Albrecht Dürer in 1507.
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.
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