Christ Taking Leave of His Mother (Schr. 639)

Art Historical Context

This poignant 15th-century German woodcut, titled *Christ Taking Leave of His Mother* (Schr. 639), captures a tender biblical moment: Jesus bidding farewell to the Virgin Mary before embarking on his ministry. Created anonymously by a skilled artisan, the image depicts Christ and Mary amid a domestic scene with houses, men, and women, emphasizing human emotion and familial bonds. Measuring just 6 3/4 x 4 13/16 inches, its intimate scale made it ideal for personal devotion. Woodcuts like this one were revolutionary in late medieval Northern Europe, enabling affordable reproduction of religious art for the masses during the Gothic period's spiritual fervor. The hand-coloring—applied post-printing—adds vivid life to the black-line block print, heightening its emotional impact and elevating it from utilitarian broadsheet to cherished object. Such prints spread piety widely, bridging elite manuscripts and everyday faith. Preserved through the bequest of James Clark McGuire and housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this rare survival offers a window into 15th-century German print culture, where art fostered direct connection to sacred stories.