Descent from the Cross 1505

Hans Baldung's 1505 woodcut "Descent from the Cross" depicts the moment when Jesus's body is being lowered from the cross. The powerful image is rendered with a stark simplicity, emphasizing the suffering of Christ, which is conveyed through the twisting of his body and the sharp details of his wounds. The presence of a skull at the base of the cross emphasizes the site of Golgotha, while the two figures assisting in the descent add a sense of urgency and human involvement. The graphic and emotive style of Baldung's artwork is characteristic of German Renaissance art, particularly the tradition of woodcut printmaking.