Christ Taking Leave of His Mother, from "The Fall and Salvation of Mankind Through the Life and Passion of Christ"
ca. 1513
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 15/16 x 2 1/16 in. (7.5 x 5.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.782
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In Albrecht Altdorfer's woodcut *Christ Taking Leave of His Mother* (ca. 1513), a poignant moment from the Life of Christ unfolds in miniature scale—just 2 15/16 x 2 1/16 inches. Part of the ambitious series *"The Fall and Salvation of Mankind Through the Life and Passion of Christ,"* this print captures the tender farewell between Jesus and the Virgin Mary, emphasizing themes of sacrifice and maternal sorrow central to Christian devotion. Altdorfer, a leading figure of the Danube School in early 16th-century Germany, infused Northern Renaissance art with his signature intricate details and atmospheric depth, even in tiny formats. As a woodcut—a relief printing technique where the artist carves away negative space from a woodblock—this work exemplifies the era's innovative printmaking, which democratized religious imagery for pilgrims and the faithful. Altdorfer's masterful linework conveys emotion through subtle gestures: Mary's sorrowful gaze and Christ's gentle blessing, rendered with astonishing precision despite the medium's challenges. Produced before the Protestant Reformation, such prints fostered personal piety amid rising calls for spiritual reform. Today, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), this gem highlights Altdorfer's versatility beyond painting, bridging devotional art and the coming age of mass-produced visuals. A testament to quiet emotional power in small spaces.
About the Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer · 1475–1538
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480–1538) was a German painter, printmaker, and draftsman who stands as one of the founders of landscape painting as an independent genre. Born in Regensburg or nearby Altdorf, he learned art from his father Ulrich, a painter and miniaturist. Altdorfer spent most of his life in Regensburg, becoming a citizen in 1505 and later serving as the city's official architect and a m...