Artwork
The Man of Sorrows and Mater Dolorosa
The Man of Sorrows and Mater Dolorosa is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Wolf Traut. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:bottom of central woodcut, in the block: ASPICE QVI TRANSIS QVIA TV MIHI CAVSA DOLORIS (Behold [you] who pass by because you [are] the cause of my sorrow); in letterpress type, in two columns below central woodcut: [Sebastian Brant's sixty-eight-line poetic dialogue "Querulosa Christi consolatio ad dolorosam virginis Marie compassionem"]; in letterpress type, below Brant's text: [dedication to Hieronymus Ebner]; in letterpress type, with dedication at the bottom of broadsheet: Impressum Nurermbergeper / Hieronymus Holtzel. Anno.12.; in letterpress type, at the bottom of broadsheet: [2 line indulgence]
About this work
Overview
The Man of Sorrows and Mater Dolorosa is a 1512 woodcut print by Wolf Traut, featuring a devotional scene with accompanying text.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts Christ as the Man of Sorrows, bound and crowned with thorns, alongside the Mater Dolorosa, a grieving Virgin Mary pierced by a sword, symbolizing their shared suffering.
Technique & Style
Produced using woodcut and letterpress techniques, the image combines black-and-white linework with red ink highlights, creating visual emphasis on key elements. Ornate borders and columnar text frame the scene, characteristic of 16th-century devotional prints.
History & Provenance
Created in 1512 by Wolf Traut, this print exemplifies the use of woodcut for disseminating religious imagery during the early 16th century.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
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