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

Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples, from "The Small Passion" is a powerful woodcut created by Albrecht Dürer between 1508 and 1509. This piece belongs to Dürer’s renowned series known as "The Small Passion," a comprehensive collection of narrative prints designed to bring the story of Christ’s life and sacrifice to a wide audience. Executed during the peak of the German Renaissance, the work exemplifies the artist's unparalleled skill in the demanding medium of the woodcut, achieving remarkable detail and tonal variation through careful linework and hatching.

The scene depicts the moment of profound humility when Christ kneels to wash the feet of his Apostles, anticipating his sacrifice and emphasizing service over ecclesiastical hierarchy. Dürer focuses the viewer's attention on the intimate interaction between Jesus and the apprehensive Peter, who gestures in refusal, while the remaining Apostles observe the solemn ritual from the tightly framed interior space. This crucial moment of washing, performed before the Last Supper, highlights the theological theme of cleansing and preparation.

Despite the small scale characteristic of the series, Dürer successfully conveys emotional intensity and spatial depth, hallmarks of his mature printmaking style. As one of the most widely circulated series of prints during the period, The Small Passion cemented Dürer’s reputation across Europe. The accessibility of such prints ensured that these highly detailed religious narratives reached beyond the traditional patrons of painting and sculpture. This significant impression of the woodcut is held in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, preserving a key example of Dürer’s enduring contribution to the history of graphic arts.