Open full image Pin

Christ on the Mount of Olives

German 15th Century

1438

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Christ on the Mount of Olives is a 1438 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1438 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows three figures standing close together, wrapped in long robes with striped patterns. The person in the center is taller, with a pale face and a red mark on their forehead. Behind them, bright yellow halos glow around their heads, and a green tree with red flowers grows nearby. The colors are flat and bold, with lots of red, green, and yellow. The rough lines and simple shapes suggest this was made by carving into wood and then coloring it by hand. This style was common in the early 1400s, before artists started using more detailed techniques. Check out the technique: woodcut to see how this kind of printmaking works.