Who painted The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched?

The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1500.

Where can I see The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched?

The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched?

The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched

Albrecht Dürer , 1500

The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1500 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

The work exemplifies Dürer’s early engagement with devotional subjects, rendered in the precise, linear language of Northern Renaissance printmaking.

Albrecht Dürer’s engraving entitled *The Man of Sorrows with Arms Outstretched* dates from around the year 1500. Executed on laid paper, the print presents a solitary figure of the crucified Christ, his arms extended in a gesture of suffering and invitation. The work exemplifies Dürer’s early engagement with devotional subjects, rendered in the precise, linear language of Northern Renaissance printmaking.

Subject & Meaning

The image portrays Jesus Christ in the traditional ‘Man of Sorrows’ pose, his torso exposed and his gaze directed downward, conveying a sense of melancholy and contemplation. The outstretched arms function both as a reference to the crucifixion and as a symbolic appeal to the viewer’s empathy, inviting reflection on the themes of sacrifice and redemption central to Christian iconography.

Technique & Style

Created through copperplate engraving, Dürer employed a limited yet deliberate arrangement of lines and cross‑hatching to model form and suggest texture. The economy of detail—simple contours defining the figure’s anatomy and drapery—demonstrates his mastery of the medium, where subtle variations in line density generate depth and emotional intensity without reliance on elaborate ornamentation.

History & Provenance

The print emerged during Dürer’s formative period, shortly after his travels to Italy, when he was synthesizing Northern and Italian influences. Though specific ownership records are scarce, the work circulated among devotional prints of the early sixteenth century, contributing to Dürer’s reputation as a leading figure in the dissemination of religious imagery through print.