Christ taking leave of his Mother

Strigel painted the scene on a fir wood panel using fine, smooth brushwork that pays careful attention to the folds of drapery and the facial expressions of the figures. The palette is dominated by deep blues, rich reds, earthy browns, and greens. Light falls evenly across the scene, utilizing soft shadows to model the forms and the heavy fabrics of the garments. The lower portion of the composition features detailed tufts of grass and rocky ground, anchoring the figures in a tangible landscape setting characteristic of Northern Renaissance painting.

The painting dates to circa 1520 and is presently part of the collection of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, housed in the Gemaldegalerie, with the accession number 1197. While the specifics of its early commission and ownership chain are not detailed in current records, its presence in the Berlin collection has allowed for recent scholarly engagement. Notably, the Gemaldegalerie and the National Museums in Berlin partnered with King's College London to feature the work in a film series focused on the Virgin Mary, underscoring its continued relevance in museum education and exhibition programming.

Bernhard Strigel operated within the stylistic framework of the Northern Renaissance, a context reflected in the detailed landscape and precise handling of oil paint seen in this work. The painting has been the subject of modern scholarly and theological interpretation, notably through the Visual Commentary on Scripture project. In this series, VCS Director Professor Ben Quash and Deputy Director Dr. Jennifer Sliwka used the painting to discuss the narrative of the Virgin Mary, aiming to equip contemporary audiences to understand and interpret Christian art and its foundational texts.