Albrecht Dürer's ‘Great Passion’ – the complete series of 12 groundbreaking woodcuts, one of them from the untraceable first impression of 1498
Dürer, Albrecht. Passio domini nostri Jesu […] per fratrem Chelidonium collecta. Cum figuris Alberti Dureri Norici Pictoris. Nuremberg, Albrecht Dürer, 1511.
Series of 12 large-format woodcuts by Albrecht Dürer.
Large folio (sheet sizes vary slightly, up to 394 x 281 mm, title page 386 x 254 mm), framed under glass.
A complete suite of 12 woodcuts from Dürer’s Great Passion.
9 sheets from the pivotal 1511 edition.
One sheet, Ecce Homo, is a newly identified impression from the first state of 1498—a monumental discovery in the world of Old Master prints.
A superb, well-preserved example that captures the full dramatic power of Dürer’s revolutionary technique.
The ‘Pinnacle in the History of the Woodcut'
We present a complete series of woodcuts from Albrecht Dürer’s magnum opus, the Great Passion. This collection represents a pinnacle of Northern Renaissance art, capturing the dramatic culmination of Dürer's graphic genius. Its significance is further elevated by the inclusion of one exceptionally rare sheet from the first printing of 1498—a cornerstone of art history in its own right.
The Great Passion: Dürer's Graphic Masterpiece
Before Albrecht Dürer, the woodcut was often considered a utilitarian medium. Dürer single-handedly elevated it to a high art form, and the Great Passion stands as his most ambitious and influential series together with the Apocalypse. Created across two periods (c. 1496-1497 and 1510-1511), its final published form in 1511 as a complete book, the Passio Domini Nostri, showcased a revolutionary approach to narrative and technique.
Why the Great Passion is a Watershed in Art History:
A New Dimension of Drama and Emotion: Dürer infused the Biblical narrative with an unprecedented psychological intensity. Through his masterful use of line, he carved not just forms, but emotion itself—the anguish in Christ's face, the fury of the mob, the despair of the apostles. He transformed static scenes into dynamic, theatrical tableaus filled with movement and human pathos.
Technical Virtuosity in Woodcut: Dürer’s late work on the Great Passion demonstrates a complete technical mastery of the woodblock. He achieved astonishing tonal range and textural variety, from the rough-hewn wood of the Cross to the delicate folds of drapery and the intricate details of armor and architecture. He made the rigid medium sing with a fluidity and depth that rivaled engraving.
The Archetypal Northern Renaissance Style: This series is the definitive expression of the Northern Renaissance. It synthesizes detailed, realistic observation—a legacy of the Flemish masters—with the compositional grandeur, classical proportions, and theoretical underpinnings Dürer absorbed during his travels in Italy. The Great Passion is where Gothic emotion meets Renaissance order.
A Publishing Phenomenon: The 1511 edition, which forms the core of this collection, was a sophisticated publication aimed at an international, humanist audience. Its Latin text and refined artistry cemented Dürer's reputation across Europe, making his work a primary vector for the spread of Renaissance ideas north of the Alps.
The Crown Jewel: A 1498 First Impression of the “Ecce Homo”
While a complete copy of this series is inherently rare, the presence of the "Ecce Homo" from the first impression of 1498, in a particularly fine burred impression, elevates this suite to an art historical sensation. This specific first impression can be definitively identified by two key characteristics: the missing section on the inner edge of the corner pillar at the top and the gap at the bottom left, where a piece of fabric is absent from the doublet of the boy or dwarf. The sheet's consistently high, exceptionally uniform inking quality—with its rich, velvety tones—precludes any attribution to the later, post-1570 prints, which are universally characterized as ‘flat’. Furthermore, none of the typical damage noted in these later impressions is found here. This impression is also superior in every respect to the other nine known from the text edition. Given that the authoritative catalogue raisonné by Schoch, Mende, and Scherbaum records only two known copies (and one more, but uncertain), this newly documented third copy can only be described as a sensational discovery. It elevates the entire suite to a new, unprecedented level, a fact recorded for the first time in our catalogue 90 “Wunderkammer”, lot 37. Click here to view the eCatalogue or order the printed version in our Online Shop. Two other woodcuts have no text on the reverse side. Christ in Limbo corresponds to the earliest version after the text edition of 1511. The Carrying of the Cross comes from a 17th-century Augsburg edition.
Provenance: German private collection.
Literature: Meder, Nos. 113-124; Schoch/Mende/Scherbaum II, Nos. 154-165 (with illustrations of all leaves); Sonnabend, Nos. 51-62, and p. 20ff.; Winkler 1957, 114ff. and fig. 64.
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