The Lamentation

German 15th Century

1470

paint

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious lamentation of christ

About this work

This print shows Christ’s body on the ground. Mary holds his head. John stands behind her. A few others kneel nearby. The colors aren’t paint—they’re dyes pressed onto metal. Artists carved the image into a soft metal plate, then rubbed in red, green, and yellow. It was early mass printing, before books or playing cards had pictures. Try looking up “German 15th Century” to see more prints like this one.