Christ Washing the Feet of His Disciples from a set of The Passion

"Christ Washing the Feet of His Disciples from a set of The Passion," created around 1595, is a significant textile work attributed to Albrecht Dürer. Although executed decades after the artist’s prolific career, the design composition likely derives from one of Dürer's widely influential graphic works, particularly his prints focused on the narrative of the Passion. This piece is exquisitely rendered in a complex tapestry weave utilizing wool, silk, and shimmering metal thread, achieving a high density of 20 warp threads per inch (or 8 per cm.).

The textile depicts a pivotal New Testament moment emphasizing humility and service. Christ is shown kneeling before one of his disciples, preparing to wash his Feet, a scene that symbolically underscores the spiritual lessons intended for all Men. The skilled weaving technique successfully translates Dürer’s characteristic attention to human anatomy and detailed compositional rigor into the medium. The use of silk and metal thread provides subtle luminosity and texture, highlighting the central figures and the architectural space in which they are gathered.

While classified as a Textile, this artwork exemplifies the enduring reach of Dürer’s designs across different media during the late 16th century. The ability of weaving workshops to faithfully reproduce narrative scenes from his internationally recognized prints demonstrates the cultural impact of the German Renaissance master. Surviving examples of textiles reproducing Dürer’s complex narrative cycles are highly valued. This exceptional piece is preserved in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, illustrating how major Renaissance designs were continuously reinterpreted. Today, many of the original Dürer prints that inspired such adaptations are widely accessible within the public domain, allowing scholars and viewers to trace the design’s origins.