The Flagellation of Christ, from The Fall and Salvation of Mankind Through the Life and Passion of Christ

Art Historical Context

Albrecht Altdorfer *The Flagellation of Christ created around 1513, is a poignant woodcut from the seriesThe Fall and Salvation ofankind Through the Life and of Christ*. This tiny print, measuring just over 3 by 2 inches, captures a dramatic moment from the Passion: Christ bound to a column, enduring scourging by tormentors. As a leading figure of the Danube School in early 16th-century Germany Altdorfer infused his works with intricate details and a sense of emotional intensity, blending Northern Renaissance precision with emerging Renaissance humanism. Woodcuts like this were revolutionary for their time, allowing affordable reproduction of religious imagery for widespread devotion during the late Gothic to early Reformation era. Altdorfer's masterful technique shines in the fine lines and textures—Christ's anguished expression, the torturers' muscular forms, and the stark column—conveying profound suffering and redemption. Produced in Regensburg amid growing calls for religious reform, such prints democratized biblical narratives, inviting personal reflection on humanity's fall and salvation. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Rogers Fund, 1920), this gem exemplifies how miniature art could evoke monumental pathos, making sacred history intimate and accessible to all visitors.

About the Artist

Albrecht Altdorfer · 1475–1538

Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...