Artwork Page for The Holy Trinity

Details / Information for The Holy Trinity

The Holy Trinity

1511

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Culture
Germany
Medium
woodcut
Credit Line
Gift of the President and Directors of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 1926.106
Catalogue raisonné
Meder 187 a/i
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

The Holy Trinity represents the pinnacle of Dürer's achievement in woodcut. Using a system of parallel lines, crosshatching, and dashes of varying densities, he attained a wide range of tone and an extremely subtle representation of three-dimensional forms and spatial depth. In addition, he utilized white areas of the paper to heighten parts of the composition for an intensely dramatic effect.
A vertically oriented print in dense black-inked fine lines depicts God holding Christ's limp body. Both have light skin tones. A white dove descends above God's tiered crown. God wears draped robes and Christ wears a waistcloth. Flanking angels hold instruments of the Passion, including a cross and pillar. At the bottom, four faces blow wind from clouds surrounding a plaque with the date 1511 and the AD monogram.

The Holy Trinity

1511

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)
Germany

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