The Passion: Christ Taken Captive

c. 1480

Martin Schongauer

(German, c. 1450–1491)

Culture

Germany

Medium

engraving

Credit Line

Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1922.88

Catalogue raisonné

Lehrs V.128.20

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

Though the Roman soldier on the right holds a ball and chain weapon (or flail), such weapons are not known to have been used by the Roman military.

Description

Martin Schongauer's series of the Passion of Christ was his largest set of engravings, made around 1480, and extensively copied across Europe. It consists of twelve prints detailing the suffering of Christ in the last days of his life. Schongauer's version focuses on crowded scenes, grotesque physiognomies of Christ's tormentors, and great pathos in the compositions. Here, Christ—with his hands tied—is led away with a rope around his neck by one of his captors. A second soldier seizes him by his left arm, and a third one grasps a lock of his hair. In the foreground, Peter, in an attempt to save Christ, cuts the ear of the soldier Malchus with his sword. Judas, instead, flees with his bag of silver at left.