Who painted The Lamentation?

The Lamentation was painted by German 15th Century in 1475.

Where can I see The Lamentation?

The Lamentation is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Lamentation?

The Lamentation is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

The Lamentation

German 15th Century , 1475

The Lamentation is an ink print by the Renaissance artist German 15th Century. It dates from 1475 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

It's interesting because the colors used are not just black and white, but also bright colors like green, red, and yellow.

The painting shows a scene of mourning.
It's interesting because the colors used are not just black and white, but also bright colors like green, red, and yellow. This suggests the artist wanted to add emotion to the scene.
The artist used a technique called woodcut to create this image, which is similar to what artist German 15th Century used in other works, and to learn more, look up the technique: woodcut.

Overview

The work titled *The Lamentation* is a hand‑coloured woodcut print. Executed in the traditional relief‑cut method, the image is enhanced with pigments of green, red, pink, yellow and gold, moving beyond the usual monochrome palette of early prints.

Subject & Meaning

The composition depicts a mournful gathering, capturing a moment of grief. The vivid hues applied to the figures and surroundings intensify the emotional tone, suggesting the artist’s intention to convey sorrow through visual vibrancy.

Technique & Style

Created by carving a design into a wooden block, ink was applied to the raised surfaces and transferred to paper. After printing, the image was manually coloured, a practice common among German printmakers of the fifteenth century who combined the precision of woodcut with decorative painting.

History & Provenance

The piece belongs to the tradition of early European printmaking, where hand‑colouring was employed to increase the appeal and value of prints for private collectors. Its exact origin and ownership trail remain undocumented, but its stylistic affinities place it within the late medieval to early Renaissance workshop milieu.

Context

During the period when woodcut emerged as a popular medium for religious and narrative scenes, artists often used bright pigments to attract viewers and to differentiate individual prints. *The Lamentation* reflects this trend, aligning with contemporary devotional imagery while employing a richer palette than typical black‑and‑white editions.