Who painted Christ on the Mount of Olives?

Christ on the Mount of Olives was painted by Albrecht Dürer in 1510.

Where can I see Christ on the Mount of Olives?

Christ on the Mount of Olives is held by British Museum.

What movement is Christ on the Mount of Olives?

Christ on the Mount of Olives is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Christ on the Mount of Olives?

Museum-quality prints of Christ on the Mount of Olives are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Christ on the Mount of Olives

Albrecht Dürer , 1510

Christ on the Mount of Olives is an ink print by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the British Museum.

Inscription: Inscribed:in block, bottom left, on tablet: AD [artist's monogram]; verso, lower center, in graphite by a later hand: 627; verso, bottom left, in graphite by a later hand: B 26; verso, bottom center, in graphite by a later hand: 11

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The print shows Jesus Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives, illustrating the Agony in the Garden of his prayer before crucifixion. Dürer draws on New Testament narratives to represent Christ's anguish and submission to divine will. The work functions as a devotional image within the Little Passion series, emphasizing themes of sacrifice and spiritual struggle.

Technique & Style

Albrecht Dürer created this woodcut using the woodcut technique on laid paper, characteristic of early 16th-century Northern European printmaking.

Albrecht Dürer created this woodcut using the woodcut technique on laid paper, characteristic of early 16th-century Northern European printmaking. Executed in 1509, the work portrays Christ in agony on the Mount of Olives with stark chiaroscuro and precise line work, reflecting the compositional focus and spiritual intensity of the Little Passion series. The print demonstrates Dürer's mastery of engraving-like detail within the woodcut medium, employing nuanced tonal gradations through intricate cross-hatching to model form and convey emotional depth.

Its formal qualities, balanced composition, meticulous draftsmanship, and restrained yet expressive figural rendering, align with the stylistic priorities of the German Renaissance, emphasizing both narrative clarity and technical virtuosity in service of religious contemplation.

History & Provenance

Albrecht Dürer created this woodcut, titled Christ on the Mount of Olives, in 1509 as part of his Little Passion series. The work's documented ownership history begins with Joseph Daniel Böhm of Vienna, followed by Robert Scholtz of Budapest. It subsequently passed through the hands of William Schab in New York before being acquired by Lessing J. Rosenwald of Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, in 1940.

Rosenwald donated the print to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1943, where it remains part of the institution's collection.

A 1509 woodcut of Christ on the Mount of Olives by Albrecht Dürer is held in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it entered the collection in 1943 as a gift from Lessing J. Rosenwald. Rosenwald acquired the impression in 1940 after it passed through the collections of Joseph Daniel Böhm in Vienna and Robert Scholtz in Budapest, with previous ownership by William Schab in New York. The work is also part of the Rosenwald Collection within the gallery's holdings. Other institutions holding this print include the British Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Context

Albrecht Dürer's woodcut Christ on the Mount of Olives (1509) exemplifies his mastery of religious imagery within the German Renaissance and his innovative approach to printmaking. The work's depiction of Christ's agony in the Garden draws directly from New Testament narratives, reflecting Dürer's deep engagement with biblical themes. Its provenance traces a clear path from early collectors like Joseph Daniel Böhm and Robert Scholtz to major institutions, including the National Gallery of Art and Cleveland Museum of Art, underscoring its significance in both private and public collections.

The print's inclusion in the Rosenwald Collection highlights its scholarly appreciation and enduring value in art historical discourse.

Overview

Christ on the Mount of Olives is a woodcut by Albrecht Dürer created in 1510. The composition depicts the biblical scene of Christ's agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Christ kneels in the foreground on a rocky outcrop, his hands clasped in prayer, illuminated by a divine light that contrasts with the surrounding darkness.

Below him, the three apostles Peter, James, and John are shown sleeping deeply, their relaxed postures emphasizing their failure to watch. A small angel descends from the upper right, presenting a chalice that symbolizes the cup of suffering Christ is about to accept. The background features dark, gnarled trees and a distant cityscape, likely representing Jerusalem.

Dürer employs his characteristic mastery of line to create deep shadows and complex textures, particularly in the foliage and the rocky terrain. This work belongs to Dürer's mature period, following his second journey to Italy, and reflects his synthesis of Northern European detail with Italian Renaissance principles of composition and light. It is part of a series of religious prints that demonstrate his technical innovation in woodcut, using dense cross-hatching to achieve tonal depth previously unattainable in the medium.