Christ with the crown of thorns

The image presents the suffering Christ as a devotional focus, inviting contemplation of his Passion. By directing his eyes toward the audience, the figure creates an intimate encounter, while the visible tears underscore the emotional intensity of the crucifixion narrative.

Executed as a copper engraving, the piece relies on fine cross‑hatching to model light and shadow, achieving a nuanced tonal range. The precision of the lines reflects the high level of craftsmanship typical of early 16th‑century German printmaking.

The engraving was produced after a now‑lost painting by Dürer, recorded in the 1514 inventory of the Nuremberg patrician family Imhof. Though the original painting has not survived, the print survived in later collections and was catalogued by Heller in his 1827 edition of Dürer’s works, listed among pieces “made after Dürer’s paintings and drawings.”

Created during the height of the Northern Renaissance, the work reflects the period’s interest in reproducing master paintings through print media, thereby extending their devotional and artistic reach beyond the original’s limited audience.