Christ Before the High Priest Caiaphas

Hans Schäufelein received recognition for his woodcut illustrations of Christ’s Passion while he worked in Dürer’s workshop. This later interpretation of Christ’s encounter with the high priest Caiaphas reveals Schäufelein’s continued debt to his teacher but also his emerging independence. Dürer’s influence is evident in the tightly compressed grouping in the foreground, particularly the depiction of Caiaphas seated on the right. Schäufelein removes the high priest from his elevated position on a low platform and positions him at the city gates of Jerusalem.