Christ before Annas

Albrecht Dürer · ca. 1508
The Met, New York

Christ before Annas comes from Dürer’s Small Passion, cut about 1508. Only John’s Gospel says that Jesus was brought first to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas.

Annas sits high on his seat holding a long staff. Below, Jesus is pulled down by his hair, a soldier on the step grips him, and a man behind raises a club to strike.

From the text

Jesus arrested, bound and brought first to Annas (John 18:12–13)

An officer striking him (John 18:22)

The artist’s own

Jesus pulled by the hair — not in the Gospels, a frequent detail of German Passion pictures

Annas in a tall pointed cap

Details

Annas

Annas sits high on his seat holding a long staff.

A club

A man behind swings a club.

By the hair

A soldier on the step pulls Jesus down by his hair.

Pointing

A man at the right points as he speaks.

Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471–1528. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Gift of Junius Spencer Morgan, 1919; acc. 19.73.182) · Woodcut · 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

John 18:12–13Then the band of soldiers, with its commander and the officers of the Jews, arrested Jesus and bound Him. They brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.

John 18:19–23Meanwhile, the high priest questioned Jesus about His disciples and His teaching. “I have spoken openly to the world,” Jesus answered. “I always taught in the synagogues and at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why are you asking Me? Ask those who heard My message. Surely they know what I said.” When Jesus had said this, one of the officers standing nearby slapped Him in the face and said, “Is this how You answer the high priest?” Jesus replied, “If I said something wrong, testify as to what was wrong. But if I spoke correctly, why did you strike Me?”