1450
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Lamentation is a 1450 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a group of people gathered around a dead body wrapped in cloth. The figures have simple, flat shapes with bright halos around their heads. One person kneels in the center, holding the body, while others stand or crouch around them, looking sad or praying. The background is plain, with a cross at the top. Notice how the artist used bold outlines and flat colors—this was a common way to make prints before photography. The hand coloring adds warmth to the scene, but the lines stay sharp and clear. Want to learn more? Check out how woodcut prints were made.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
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