Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples, from "The Small Passion"
ca. 1508
Medium
Woodcut
Dimensions
sheet: 4 7/8 x 3 7/8 in. (12.5 x 9.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Junius Spencer Morgan, 1919
Accession Number
19.73.179
Tags
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer’s *Christ Washing the Feet of the Disciples*, from his celebrated series *The Small Passion* (ca. 1508), captures a profound moment of humility from the Gospel of John. In this compact woodcut—measuring just 4⅞ × 3⅞ inches—Jesus kneels to wash the feet of his apostles during the Last Supper, embodying servant leadership and foreshadowing his sacrifice. Part of a 37-print cycle narrating Christ’s life, the series was designed for personal devotion, making sacred stories accessible to everyday believers. As a pinnacle of Northern Renaissance printmaking, Dürer elevated woodcuts f...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...