id: 109146 accession number: 1927.305 share license status: CC0 url: https://clevelandart.org/art/1927.305 updated: 2023-08-31 11:02:26.185000 Christ on the Cross, 1470–90. Martin Schongauer (German, c.1450–1491). Engraving; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1927.305 title: Christ on the Cross title in original language: series: series in original language: creation date: 1470–90 creation date earliest: 1464 creation date latest: 1495 current location: creditline: Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland copyright: --- culture: Germany, 15th century technique: engraving department: Prints collection: PR - Engraving type: Print find spot: catalogue raisonne: Lehrs V.76.10 --- CREATORS * Martin Schongauer (German, c.1450–1491) - artist Martin Schongauer (ca. 1450-53, Colmar - 2 February 1491, Breisach) was one of the most skilled and influential graphic artists of Europe in the last quarter of the 15h century. Trained both as an engraver and as a painter, Schongauer started his apprenticeship under his father Caspar Schongauer, a goldsmith from Augsburg. In 1465, he matriculated at the University of Leipzig. After one year, he left his studies, and came back to Colmar. There, he was trained under the painter Caspar Isenmann, between 1466 and 1469. Schongauer later traveled down to the Rhine, Cologne, Burgundy, the Netherlands, and he likely visited Spain. In 1489, he became a citizen of Breisach, where he died probably of the plague in 1491. Only a few of Schongauer's paintings survive. Among these is the Madonna in the Rose Garden for the Church of Saint Martin in Colmar (1473), which betrays Schongauer's admiration for the works by the Netherlandish painter Roger Van der Weyden. The bulk of Schongauer's engravings is more conspicuous: 116 prints, none of them dated, but all marked by his monogram M+S. Characterized by exquisite cross-hatching and impeccable craftsmanship, Schongauer's engravings were widely imitated by the German printmakers Ishrael van Meckenem and Albrecht Durer, as well as by Italian artists, such as Cristoforo Robetta and Nicoletto da Modena. --- measurements: state of the work: edition of the work: support materials: inscriptions: --- CURRENT EXHIBITIONS title: Italian and German Prints of the 15th Century opening date: 1933-11-29T05:00:00 Italian and German Prints of the 15th Century. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29, 1933-January 3, 1934). title: 15th Century German and Netherlands Prints from the Museum Collection opening date: 1935-10-11T05:00:00 15th Century German and Netherlands Prints from the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 11-28, 1935). title: Exhibition of Prints by the Little Masters: Prints form the Museum Collection opening date: 1938-03-23T05:00:00 Exhibition of Prints by the Little Masters: Prints form the Museum Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 23-April 24, 1938). title: 15th Century German Engravings opening date: 1938-11-15T05:00:00 15th Century German Engravings. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 15-December 11, 1938). title: Sacred and Profane in Late Gothic Prints opening date: 1987-06-02T04:00:00 Sacred and Profane in Late Gothic Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 2-August 2, 1987). --- LEGACY EXHIBITIONS --- PROVENANCE --- fun fact: According to tradition, both the Roman Centurion and the spear-bearer Longinus, seen here to the right of the cross, converted to Christianity at the time of Crucifixion. digital description: Martin Schongauer engraved several variations of the Crucifixion, often inspired by fifteenth-century Netherlandish paintings of the same subject. Here, the thin and emaciated body of Christ hangs at the top of a central cross. On the left, saint John the Evangelist supports the fainting Virgin Mary. On the right, the Roman Centurion and the spear-bearing soldier Longinus (who would later stab Christ to make sure he was dead) look sorrowfully at the viewer and gesture toward Christ. The development of early printing methods during the fifteenth century offered more people personal devotional images that were previously limited to less affordable media, like paintings, sculptures, or illuminated manuscripts. Images of the Crucifixion like this functioned as devotional tools meant to help the faithful to meditate on Christ's sufferings, his sacrifice, and redemption of humanity. wall description: --- RELATED WORKS --- CITATIONS --- IMAGES web: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1927.305/1927.305_web.jpg print: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1927.305/1927.305_print.jpg full: https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1927.305/1927.305_full.tif