Christ Taking Leave of His Mother, from The Fall and Salvation of Mankind Through the Life and Passion of Christ

Art Historical Context

In the early 16th, Albrecht Altdorfer, a pioneering artist of the German Renaissance and leader of the Danube School, profound emotional moments in his series *The Fall and Salvation of M Through the Life and Passion Christ*. This woodcut *Christ Taking Leave of His Mother*ca. 1513), depicts an intimate, apocryphal biblical scene Jesus bids farewell to the Mary before beginning his ministry. Rendered on a tiny sheet (just 3 1/16 × 2 3/16 in.), it exemplifies Altdorfer's mastery of miniature scale, blending tender human drama with his signature atmospheric landscapes in the background. As a woodcut—a relief printing technique where the artist carves away negative space from a wood block— this print highlights the Northern Renaissance's emphasis on accessible religious art. Woodcuts allowed for multiple impressions, spreading devotional imagery to a wider audience beyond the elite. Altdorfer's intricate line work conveys Mary's sorrowful gesture and Christ's gentle resolve, with delicate cross-hatching suggesting depth and emotion in such confined dimensions. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Prints collection (Rogers Fund, 1920), this work reflects the era's spiritual fervor amid the Reformation's stirrings, inviting viewers to contemplate themes of sacrifice and maternal love that resonate across centuries.

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...