Christ Taking Leave from His Mother

Christ Taking Leave from His Mother is a profound woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer between 1504 and 1505. This graphic work belongs to the highly productive German period of the artist, specifically within the years 1501 to 1550, which marked the height of the Northern Renaissance. The composition captures the emotionally fraught moment preceding Christ’s journey into his ministry and eventual Passion, a scene emphasizing filial devotion balanced against divine necessity.

As a master of the graphic arts, Dürer maximized the expressive capabilities of the woodcut medium. Unlike his more meticulously refined copperplate engravings, this piece utilizes bold, dynamic lines and high-contrast areas of black and white, characteristics that made these prints highly effective for widespread distribution. The scene depicts Christ kneeling before the Virgin Mary, who, overwhelmed by anticipation of the pain of separation and ultimate sacrifice, recoils in anguish. Dürer focuses intensely on the psychological drama, rendering the sorrow inherent in the biblical narrative through dramatic gestures and detailed expressions.

This work is a prime example of German Renaissance art, demonstrating Dürer's ability to fuse classical compositional rules, likely absorbed during his travels to Italy, with the intricate naturalism typical of Northern European sensibilities. His innovative approach elevated the status of prints from mere illustrations to autonomous works of fine art.

This specific impression of Christ Taking Leave from His Mother is held in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C., contributing significantly to the museum's important holdings of Renaissance masterworks. Because of its age and cultural significance, this celebrated piece is frequently available to researchers and the public through high-resolution images categorized within the public domain.