The Triumph of Christ
- Gallery: Room 90
- Date: 1545-1547 (circa)
- Object type: print
- Materials: paper
- Museum number: 1930,0414.40
- Museum: The British Museum
- Collection record: British Museum website
- Image © The Trustees of the British Museum, shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licence.
Listen to the free audio guide
About this object
Before you is The Triumph of Christ, a remarkable woodcut print from around 1545–1547. This striking image shows Christ seated in a grand chariot drawn by the four symbolic beasts of the Evangelists and pushed by the Doctors of the Church. At the front of the procession are Adam and Eve. The whole scene is depicted against a dramatic and richly detailed background.
You'll notice each of the ten wooden blocks used in the print has its own letter from A to Z—though some are missing. The image is accompanied by French letterpress in 23 columns below and a title above.
This woodcut is thought to be Titian's first design for a woodcut and has been praised for its vigor and style. Created in Italy, it reveals the power and ambition of Renaissance printmaking as a public-facing art form.
See it in person
The Triumph of Christ is on display in Room 90 at the British Museum on Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London — free to enter. Choose British Museum on audioguide.london and take a photo of it to hear this free audio guide in six languages — no app download needed.
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