1490
ink
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Christ on the Cross with Angels is a 1490 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a wooden cross with a figure nailed to it, surrounded by angels and people. The central figure has a crown of thorns and wounds on his hands and feet. Angels float above, holding objects like a chalice and a cloth. Below, two people stand with hands clasped, while a kneeling figure reaches up toward the cross. The letters at the top spell out "I.N.R.I."—a common abbreviation in these images. The colors are flat and bright, added by hand after the woodcut was carved. Look up woodcut to see how artists like this made prints before photography.
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)
