Artwork
The Fall and Redemption of Man: Christ Nailed to the Cross
The Fall and Redemption of Man: Christ Nailed to the Cross is a print by the Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Albrecht Altdorfer’s print *The Fall and Redemption of Man: Christ Nailed to the Cross* dates to around 1515. Executed in the German Renaissance, the work portrays the crucifixion with a compact group of figures foregrounded against a landscape that shifts from shadowed darkness to illuminated foliage. The piece is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the moment of Christ’s nailing, a pivotal event in Christian theology symbolizing sacrifice and redemption. Surrounding figures—some standing, others kneeling or prostrate—reflect a range of human responses, from reverence to anguish, underscoring the narrative’s spiritual gravity.
Technique & Style
Altdorfer employs a pronounced chiaroscuro, contrasting deep shadows with bright highlights to model forms and convey emotional intensity. The print’s fine line work and subtle gradations of tone reveal his mastery of engraving, while the inclusion of a detailed, expressive landscape aligns with the Danube School’s characteristic integration of nature and narrative.
History & Provenance
Created during Altdorfer’s mature period in Regensburg, the work exemplifies his dual reputation as painter and architect. After circulating among early collectors of German prints, it entered the Cleveland Museum of Art’s holdings, where it remains a representative example of his printmaking output alongside his more widely known paintings.
Context
Altdorfer was a leading figure of the Danube School, a regional movement noted for vivid natural settings and emotive religious scenes.
Altdorfer was a leading figure of the Danube School, a regional movement noted for vivid natural settings and emotive religious scenes. His contemporaries, such as Lucas Cranach the Elder, shared similar interests in merging biblical narratives with landscape, while Altdorfer’s small, intricate engravings placed him among the Nuremberg Little Masters, a group distinguished by their finely detailed prints.
Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
The Fall and Redemption of Man: Christ Crowned with Thorns
Christ Nailed to the Cross
Christ Nailed to the Cross
Christ Nailed to the Cross
The Fall and Redemption of Man: Christ on the Cross
The Fall and Redemption of Man: The Lamentation beneath the Cross
The Fall and Redemption of Man: The Raising of the Cross
The Fall and Redemption of Man: Christ before Pilate
The Fall and Redemption of Man: Christ Taking Leave of His Mother before the Passion
The Small Passion: Christ Being Nailed to the Cross