Christ as Good Shepherd, from Das Plenarium
Medium
Woodcut (hand-colored)
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 11/16 × 2 11/16 in. (9.4 × 6.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1961
Accession Number
61.663.359
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold this delicate woodcut, *Christ as Good Shepherd*, the rare liturgical volume *Das Plenarium*, in Basel by Adam Petri in 7 after designs by the German artist Hans Schäufelein Measuring just under 4 by 3 inches, this hand-colored print captures Christ tenderly cradling a lamb amid a flock of sheep, evoking the biblical parable from John 10 where Jesus describes himself as the shepherd who knows and protects his flock. Produced on the eve of the Protestant Reformation, *Das Plenarium* was a comprehensive missal compiling prayers and readings for the entire church year, making such illustra...
About the Artist
Hans Schäufelein|Adam Petri · 1480–1540
Hans Schäufelein (c. 1480–c. 1540) was a German painter and graphic artist of the Northern Renaissance whose career placed him at the heart of one of the most dynamic artistic environments in European history. As a young man, he entered the workshop of Albrecht Dürer in Nuremberg, an experience that proved decisive: Dürer's meticulous approach to draughtsmanship, his mastery of printmaking, and hi...