Ecce Homo 1510

Albrecht Dürer created the woodcut print "Ecce Homo," or "Behold the Man," as part of his Large Passion series. It was made during a time of religious and social upheaval of the Reformation in Northern Europe. Dürer masterfully uses the black and white medium to convey complex emotions and social dynamics, highlighting the performative aspects of justice and power. Pontius Pilate presents a suffering Christ to a jeering crowd, while Roman soldiers stand guard. The architecture situates the scene in its time, yet the emotionality of the figures feels timeless. Dürer offers a critique of authority and the role of the masses in perpetuating injustice. How does Dürer's depiction challenge or reinforce existing power structures? What does the artist reveal about human nature and our capacity for both cruelty and compassion?