The artwork titled “Man Of Sorrows, Seated” is a work by Albrecht Dürer dating back to 1515. It is an etching, a testament to Dürer’s mastery of the medium and his contribution to the Northern Renaissance art movement. Holding religious significance, the piece showcases Dürer’s intricate work and attention to detail. While this work is categorized under religious painting, it is an etching that exists in private collections.
The image depicts a sorrowful figure presumed to be Jesus Christ after his crucifixion, as indicated by the halo and the visible wounds on his body such as the stigmata on his hands and the spear wound on his side. Christ is seated, his body emaciated and covered with marks of his passion, and his crown of thorns still present upon his head. The way he holds his hands toward the viewer might suggest an apparition displaying the wounds. His facial expression shows a combination of suffering and resignation. Dürer’s use of fine lines and hatching give the figure a remarkable sense of texture and depth, a characteristic of his skillful etching technique. The composition is compact, with the seated Christ contained within a narrow frame, emphasizing the intimacy of this moment of suffering and reflection.
