Christ’s Entry into Jerusalem

Dürer · probably c. 1509/1510
National Gallery of Art, Washington

This woodcut belongs to Dürer’s Small Passion, a series of more than thirty little prints on the life and suffering of Christ, cut around 1509–10 and published together as a book in Nuremberg in 1511. The block is only about 13 by 10 centimetres.

Jesus rides the donkey towards a city gate, light streaming from his head and one hand raised. Disciples follow on the left; on the right people hold up palm branches, and one spreads his cloak in front of the animal.

From the text

Jesus seated on the donkey (Matthew 21:7)

The crowd spreading cloaks on the road and cutting branches from the trees (Matthew 21:8)

Palm branches carried out to meet him (John 12:13)

Crowds going ahead and following (Matthew 21:9)

The artist’s own

Rays of light round Jesus’ head, as printmakers marked a holy figure

A German-looking gateway and gabled houses for Jerusalem

A tall palm tree at the left, a reminder of the Holy Land

Dürer’s monogram “AD” on a small tablet high on the wall

Details

Riding in

Jesus sits on the donkey with his hand raised, rays of light round his head.

Palm branches

People at the right hold up palm fronds.

The donkey

The donkey’s head and bridle, half hidden in the crowd.

A cloak on the road

A man bends to spread his cloak before the animal.

Disciples

Bearded disciples walk close behind.

Monogram

Dürer’s “AD” on a little tablet.

Albrecht Dürer, German, 1471–1528. National Gallery of Art, Washington (Rosenwald Collection, 1943.3.3638) · Woodcut on laid paper · NGA Open Access: "Images of these works are available free of charge for any use, commercial or non-commercial, under Creative Commons Zero (CC0)." (NGA open data: published_images.csv openaccess = 1)

The verses

Matt 21:7–9They brought the donkey and the colt and laid their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. A massive crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of Him and those that followed were shouting: “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest!”

John 12:12–13The next day the great crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet Him, shouting: “Hosanna!” “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”