Christ on the Mount of Olives

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Artist Albrecht Dürer (German, May 21, 1471–April 6, 1528)

Title Christ on the Mount of Olives (Christus am Ölberg)

Plate Number Plate 2

Series The Engraved Passion

Date 1508, published 1513

Medium Engraving on paper

Dimensions Image: 4 9/16 x 2 13/16 in. (11.6 x 7.2 cm)
Plate: 4 9/16 x 2 13/16 in. (11.6 x 7.2 cm)
Sheet: 5 1/16 x 3 5/16 in. (12.9 x 8.4 cm)

Credit Line Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John H. Myers, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 83.24B

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About this Work

The figures in this cycle seem to move about in darkness through a world perpetually cast in shadow. This effect is the result of stark contrasts between light and dark called chiaroscuro, an effect Dürer employed in this series for the first time to help conjure its brooding, elegiac ambiance. Some of these engravings are also true nocturnes such as Christ on the Mount of Olives (Plate 2), in which Christ implores an angel while his companions slumber unaware. Rather than moving quickly from one print to the next, we instead feel compelled to linger over each plate, absorbing details as they emerge from the darkness.

Provenance
More Details

Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

Publisher Albrecht Dürer (German, May 21, 1471–April 6, 1528)
Plate Number Plate 2
Series Title The Engraved Passion
Foreign Language Series Title Die Kupferstich-Passion

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"Christ on the Mount of Olives | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=83.24B