Christ on the Cross

Art Historical Context

Created in 1553, this small engraving captures the solemn moment of Christ’s crucifixion, surrounded by the Virgin Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Saint John the Baptist. The work is attributed to Heinrich Aldegrever and Georg Pencz, two German artists active during the Reformation era. At just 4½ by 2⅞ inches, the print exemplifies the intimate scale favored by the so-called “Little Masters,” who specialized in finely detailed engravings meant for private contemplation rather than large public display. Engraving allowed these artists to achieve remarkable precision in line work, conveying both the...

About the Artist

Heinrich Aldegrever|Georg Pencz · 1502–1561

Heinrich Aldegrever, born in 1502 in Paderborn, Westphalia, to parents Herman and Katherine Trippenmeker—a family of clog-makers known by the dialect name Trippenmecker—emerged as a multifaceted artist in the German Renaissance. His early training remains undocumented, though he likely apprenticed in a Soest goldsmith's workshop after relocating there around 1525, where he joined the painters' gui...