Christ Taking Leave from his Mother, from "The Small Passion"

Christ Taking Leave from his Mother, from "The Small Passion," is a powerful woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer between 1508 and 1509. This pivotal image belongs to Dürer’s famed series, "The Small Passion," which provided a comprehensive visual narrative of Christ's life and suffering for a wide audience. As a master of the German Renaissance, Dürer utilized the woodcut medium to achieve unprecedented levels of detail and emotional depth in his prints, transforming what was once considered a relatively crude technique into a sophisticated art form suitable for intellectual and spiritual contemplation.

The scene depicts a poignant moment of farewell between Christ and his Mother, the Virgin Mary. The composition focuses intimately on the two central figures, highlighting the profound sorrow of the Woman who understands the painful destiny awaiting her son. Dürer masterfully conveys the dramatic tension through expressive gestures and complex drapery, utilizing the sharp lines inherent to the woodcut technique to define form and shadow.

The widespread availability of these small-format prints greatly influenced devotional practices and narrative illustration across Europe during the early 16th century. The piece demonstrates Dürer’s skill in making complex theological subjects emotionally resonant and accessible. This particular impression of Christ Taking Leave from his Mother is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Because of their historical significance and age, many impressions of Dürer’s graphic works, including these powerful religious prints, often enter the public domain, ensuring global accessibility for study and appreciation of this foundational German artist.