Christ before Caiaphas

Christ has just been arrested in the Mount of Olives and now stands before the Jewish high priest Caiaphas, accused of blasphemy by claiming that he is the Messiah. In contrast to his accusers, Christ stands passively, having already accepted his fate.

Dürer effectively uses contrasts of light and dark to emphasize the conversation between Christ and Caiaphas. Caiaphas appears bathed in light, gesturing with hands on chest, while Christ remains in shadow. The guard to Christ’s right is Leonardesque—influenced by the graphic work of Leonardo da Vinci, which Dürer may have encountered on his Italian journeys.