Bible in art · Matthew

Christ before Caiaphas

Albrecht Dürer · 1512
The Met, New York

Dürer engraved this small plate in 1512 for his Engraved Passion, sixteen copper engravings made between 1507 and 1513 and sold as a set, without text. Each is only about 12 × 7.5 cm.

Jesus stands bound, a chain at his neck, before the high priest, who sits under a canopy and pulls at the front of his robe. A soldier in armour shouts and raises his fist; torches and halberds stand behind in the dark room.

From the text

Jesus taken to the house of Caiaphas the high priest (Matthew 26:57)
The high priest tearing his clothes (Matthew 26:65)
Men striking him (Matthew 26:67)

The artist’s own

The high priest in a fur-trimmed robe and a tall cap of Dürer’s time
A tablet with Dürer’s monogram hanging from the ceiling

Details

Tearing his robe

The high priest pulls open the front of his robe.

Bound

Jesus stands with bound hands and a chain at his neck.

A raised fist

A soldier in armour shouts and raises his fist.

Night

A torch burns among the halberds.

Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471–1528. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Fletcher Fund, 1919; acc. 19.73.6) · Engraving · Public Domain — The Met Open Access (CC0). The Met Collection API record: "isPublicDomain": true; The Met marks such works on its website "with the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) icon".

The verses

Matt 26:57–68Those who had arrested Jesus led Him away to the house of Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and elders had gathered. But Peter followed Him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. And he went in and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were seeking false testimony against Jesus in order to put Him to death. But they did not find any, though many false witnesses came forward. Finally two came forward and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’” So the high priest stood up and asked Him, “Have You no answer? What are these men testifying against You?” But Jesus remained silent. Then the high priest said to Him, “I charge You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God.” “You have said it yourself,” Jesus answered. “But I say to all of you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” At this, the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed! Why do we need any more witnesses? Look, now you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think?” “He deserves to die,” they answered. Then they spit in His face and struck Him. Others slapped Him and said, “Prophesy to us, Christ! Who hit You?”

See it at the museum’s site