1485
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Christ on the Cross is a 1485 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a man nailed to a cross, arms spread wide, with two people standing below. The man on the left looks sad, hands clasped. The woman on the right holds her hands together, staring up. Above the cross, two small scenes show angels. At the bottom, tiny boxes depict skulls, a lion, and other strange figures. The cross has the word "IHS" carved into it—those letters often stood for Jesus’ name in old art. The whole scene is drawn with sharp lines and filled in by hand in earthy colors. This style comes from a technique called woodcut.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
See the richer artist page
![Studies for Six Figures (sheet from a model book) [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/4837429e0755bc3f/thumb.webp)
