Christ on the Cross with Angels, Sun, and Moon

This metalcut of the Crucifixion depicts essential elements of the subject and has an approachable charm that would have made it a welcome aid to worship. Metalcuts were made by incising and punching designs into the surface of metal plates, which were then printed in relief like woodcuts. Here the punchwork seems much more refined than the cutting. The craftsman responsible for coloring the print omitted the red stroke of paint that should have given the angel hovering near the wound in Jesus’s right side a stream of blood to collect in its chalice.