The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand (1508) by Albrecht Durer

The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand - Albrecht Durer - 1508

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Artwork Information

TitleThe Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand
ArtistAlbrecht Durer
Date1508
MediumOil on Panel
Dimensions99 x 87 cm
Art MovementNorthern Renaissance
Current LocationKunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria
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About The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand

The Martyrdom of the Ten Thousand is a stunning oil painting created by Albrecht Dürer in 1508. The painting depicts the legend of the ten thousand martyred Christians who were massacred on Mount Ararat by King Saporat of Persia. Attributed to its draughtsmanship and skilled use of color, this artwork is held in high esteem.

Dürer’s signature adorns the painting on a decorated cartouche. It’s worth noting that he had previously depicted this massacre in a woodcut version. The artist’s father, Albrecht the Elder, is portrayed in one of his earliest surviving oil paintings.

Currently housed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, this piece remains without an art patron and donations are being accepted for its preservation. Its depiction of violence and anguish makes it significant, alongside Dürer’s other works that illustrate biblical prophecies regarding the coming Apocalypse. Additionally, The Metropolitan Museum of Art has its own woodcut version of The Martyrdom Of The Ten Thousand.

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