The Small Passion: Christ Taking Leave of the Virgin

The Small Passion: Christ Taking Leave of the Virgin is a foundational work by Albrecht Dürer, executed around 1509-1510. This masterful example of printmaking belongs to Dürer’s comprehensive Small Passion series, a cycle of thirty-seven illustrations documenting the life and suffering of Christ. Created using the demanding technique of the woodcut, the image showcases the artist's unparalleled ability to imbue the often-austere medium with textural complexity and deep emotional resonance, elevating the print medium to the status of high art.

The scene depicts the deeply sorrowful moment when Christ bids farewell to the Virgin Mary before undertaking his final journey toward Jerusalem and the Crucifixion. Dürer structures the composition with dramatic diagonal tension, focusing attention on the intimate, anguished exchange between mother and son. Unlike his earlier, larger cycles, this series was designed for a broader audience, reflecting the rising popularity and commercial viability of high-quality devotional prints across Europe. This emphasis on human emotion within the divine narrative is characteristic of the Northern Renaissance tradition emerging from Germany.

Dürer’s revolutionary precision in the woodcut technique allowed him to achieve a level of detail previously reserved for copperplate engraving. The Small Passion series proved immensely influential, setting the standard for religious iconography for generations. This impressive work, alongside many other significant German prints from the era, is held in the permanent collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. Because of their age and historical importance, high-resolution reproductions of these masterful prints are often available through public domain archives, ensuring the continuing study of Dürer's profound artistic legacy.