The Small Crucifixion ("The Pommel of Emperor Maximilian")
1519
Medium
Engraving in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Sheet: 3.6 × 3.6 cm (1 7/16 × 1 7/16 in.)
Classification
engraving
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
4102
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Albrecht Dürer engraved this Crucifixion scene on a small golden plate, which likely decorated the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian’s hat or sword hilt. The backward letters INRI (identifying Christ as the so-called King of the Jews) and the switched placement of Mary and John suggest that this impression was pulled from such a plate, the image appearing in reverse as a result of the printing process. Considering the softness of precious metals, gold plates were primarily intended as jewelry rather...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...