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Christ Crowned with Thorns

German 15th Century

1490

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Christ Crowned with Thorns is a 1490 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1490 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a man kneeling with a crown of thorns on his head. Two figures stand on either side, one holding a long stick and the other reaching toward him. The colors are flat and bright—reds, greens, and blues—with a sky full of swirling clouds above. The ground looks like a simple yellow line, and the figures have blocky, stylized faces. The painting is made using a woodcut technique, where the artist carved the design into wood and then added color by hand. This method was common before printing presses made images widely available. Next, look up technique: woodcut to see how this process worked.