Christ on the Cross c. 1485

This woodcut, Christ on the Cross, was likely produced in Germany during the late 15th or early 16th century, a time when the printing press was enabling the mass distribution of images. The composition is striking: Christ is central, flanked by Mary and another figure, possibly Mary Magdalene, all beneath angels and above symbolic creatures and skulls. The ‘INRI’ inscription above Christ is a reference to the Roman charge against him. The print's visual language speaks to the religious intensity of the period. Woodcuts like this one provided accessible, affordable means for people to engage with religious themes. They would have shaped popular devotion by making powerful imagery available outside the confines of churches. To understand this piece more fully, we could investigate the history of printmaking, explore the cultural function of devotional images, and consider the economic and social context in which this work was produced and circulated.