Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples, from "The Small Passion"

Art Historical Context

In Albrecht Dürer's *Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples*, from his renowned series *The Small Passion (ca. 1508), we witness a poignant moment from the Gospel of John, where Jesus humbly kneels to wash his disciples' feet on the eve of his crucifixion. Created during the Northern Renaissance, this woodcut Dürer's mastery in depicting profound religious humility and human emotion. As one of 37 prints in the series—smaller and more intricate than his earlier *Large Passion*—it reflects the era's growing demand for affordable devotional art amid the Protestant Reformation's stirrings. Dürer's woodcut technique shines here, with fine, expressive lines carved into a tiny 5 x 4-inch sheet, achieving remarkable depth and texture through cross-hatching and delicate shading. The compact format belies its detail: Christ's gentle focus contrasts with the apostles' varied reactions, from surprise to reverence, inviting viewers into the intimate scene. Woodcuts like this revolutionized art dissemination, allowing prints to reach households across Europe. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this work exemplifies Dürer's legacy as a printmaking innovator, blending technical precision with spiritual depth to make sacred narratives accessible and enduring.

About the Artist

Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528

Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...