ticketsMember | Make a donation

Christ as the Man of Sorrows

ca. 1522–25
Not on view
Christ's unnaturally contorted figure typifies Crabbe's work in its peculiar melding of medieval Netherlandish stylistic conventions and classical Renaissance principles. In this modestly proportioned yet immensely powerful etching, Christ, in a traditional devotional portrayal, sits at the edge of a sepulchre, clutching the base of the cross. The column and the scourge, symbols of his flagellation loom behind. Crabbe distinguished forms by juxtaposing patterns: the hatching on Christ's body, the undulating grain of the cross, and the stippled surface of the edge of the tomb. Thus, at a time when artists were still experimenting with the etching technique, he created an exemplar of the varied tones and textures that the printed line can produce. While the abstraction of the composition and its agitated patterning--in particular in the loincloth's myriad folds--are reminiscent of late Gothic art, the source of Christ's pensive ose and muscular body can be traced to the German master Albrecht Dürer, whose prints were circulating throughout northern Europe. Dürer probably met Crabbe during a visit to the latter's native city of Mechelen in 1521. Crabbe's works are very rare; this print is known in only one other impression (Art Instittute of Chicago).

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Christ as the Man of Sorrows
  • Artist: Frans Crabbe van Espleghem (Netherlandish, Mechelen ca. 1480–1553 Mechelen)
  • Date: ca. 1522–25
  • Medium: Engraving and etching
  • Dimensions: 4 5/16 x 3 1/4 in. (10.9 x 8.2 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Gift of Mrs. Gardner Cassatt, by exchange, Charles Z. Offin and John J. McKendry Funds, A. Hyatt Mayor Purchase Fund, Marjorie Phelps Starr Bequest, and Anne Stern, Reba and Dave Williams, and David Tunick Gifts, 1997
  • Object Number: 1997.372
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist, Frans Crabbe van Espleghem Netherlandish, Woodcut
Scenes from the Life of Saint John the Baptist
Frans Crabbe van Espleghem
Nicolaas Hogenberg
ca. 1522
The Adoration of the Shepherds, Frans Crabbe van Espleghem Netherlandish, Engraving
The Adoration of the Shepherds
Frans Crabbe van Espleghem
ca. 1522–25
Head of a Man in Three-Quarter Profile, Frans Crabbe van Espleghem Netherlandish, Engraving
Head of a Man in Three-Quarter Profile
Frans Crabbe van Espleghem
1522
Esther before Ahasuerus, Frans Crabbe van Espleghem Netherlandish, Etching
Returned to lender
Esther before Ahasuerus
Frans Crabbe van Espleghem
1500-1550
Esther before Ahasuerus, Frans Crabbe van Espleghem Netherlandish, Pen and dark brown ink with touches of gray-brown wash over black chalk, incised for transfer
Returned to lender
Esther before Ahasuerus
Frans Crabbe van Espleghem
ca. 1525

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.