Jesus Calling Zacchaeus from Geistliche Auslegung des Lebens Jesu Christi (The Spiritual Interpretation of the Life of Christ), Plate 15 from Woodcuts from Books of the 15th Century

Prints and Drawings

c. 1485, portfolio assembled 1929

Unknown Artist (near Ulm, 15th century)
printed and published by Johann Zainer (German, active 1473–c. 1523)
portfolio text by Wilhelm Ludwig Schreiber (German, 1855–1932)

This sparely drawn, anonymous woodcut suggests an incomplete design for stained glass. Copies of the complete book, The Spiritual Interpretation of the Life of Christ, were doubtless also offered in a boldly hand-colored version. In this scene (Luke 19: 1-10), Jesus Christ passes through Jericho and notices a wealthy, but diminutive, devotee who has climbed a sycamore tree (drawn here with recognizable seed pods) in order to see him better. Recognizing Zacchaeus’s enthusiasm, Christ invites himself and his entourage to dinner, guaranteeing both his host’s conversion and salvation. German Bible verse translations, simple illustrations, and prayers help the attentive reader along the same path.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Unknown artist (Illustrator)
Title: Jesus Calling Zacchaeus from Geistliche Auslegung des Lebens Jesu Christi (The Spiritual Interpretation of the Life of Christ), Plate 15 from Woodcuts from Books of the 15th Century
Place: Germany (Artist's nationality:)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Original 1484–1488
Medium: Woodcut in black, and letterpress in black (recto and verso), on cream laid paper
Dimensions: Image/block: 12.5 × 11.9 cm (4 15/16 × 4 11/16 in.); Sheet: 25.3 × 16.8 cm (10 × 6 5/8 in.)
Credit Line: Print Sales Miscellaneous Fund
Reference Number: 1938.86.15
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/129315/manifest.json

Schreiber 3722

Hain 2146

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Jesus Calling Zacchaeus from Geistliche Auslegung des Lebens Jesu Christi (The Spiritual Interpretation of the Life of Christ), Plate 15 from Woodcuts from Books of the 15th Century

Currently Off View

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Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.

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IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.