Albrecht Dürer - The Small Passion of 1511

Albrecht Dürer - The Small Passion of 1511

At the beginning of the 16th century, Albrecht Dürer, Germany’s most famous Renaissance artist, dealt with the Passion of Christ in three printed works and numerous single sheets. His three so-called “great books” were the Apocalypse, the Great Passion, and the Small Passion. The latter got its name from the comparatively small size of its 36 high-quality woodcuts measuring just 127 × 98 mm. This outstanding series of small graphic masterpieces from the early Renaissance derives its breathtaking effect solely from the impressively delicate black-white line interplay in the prints, which Dürer mastered brilliantly.

Passion – A Christian Term

The word “Passion” is typically understood to mean those physical and spiritual sufferings, which Christ endured in the last days of his earthly life. This theme was especially popular in Germany in 15th and 16th centuries. The church used pictures to tell of the last days in the life of Christ because the majority of the population could neither read nor write. Already in the Middle Ages, a specific iconography of the tale of woe was already elaborated, which was easily recognizable. Albrecht Dürer, as he dedicated himself to the Passion theme, appended his personal and unmistakable additions to the traditional representational motifs.

A jewel of German Renaissance Art

The Small Passion contains true masterworks of the great painter, Dürer, which are not to be found in any other graphic collection of the artist. For example, counted among them is the moving scene of the Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane with the mournful Disciples of Christ. Dürer’s engravings enjoyed great popularity in the 16th century and inspired numerous painters and illuminators from across Europe. The famous Belgian artist Simon Bening presented a few miniatures in his Golf Book of Hours that are clearly oriented on scenes from the Small Passion. The precious book treasure was made by Dürer in his home city of Nuremberg and is found today in the private “Puschkin” collection.