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Christ on the Mount of Olives

German 15th Century

1460

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Christ on the Mount of Olives is a 1460 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: German 15th Century
When & what style?: 1460 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This woodcut shows a small group of people in a simple landscape. One man stands with his hands clasped, looking upward. Another sits on the ground, leaning on a staff. A child kneels nearby, and two robed figures stand in the background—one holding a staff, the other a small object. The colors are flat and bright, mostly orange-red, gray, and gold, with a border framed in red. The scene looks like a moment of prayer or waiting, with the standing figure at the center. This style was made by carving into wood and coloring by hand, which was common before printing became widespread. Next, look up technique: woodcut to see how this method worked.