Christ Tells His Disciples of the Last Judgment
1630
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1630
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Christ Tells His Disciples of the Last Judgment is a 1630 ink by Christoph Murer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This woodcut shows a crowded scene of people in a church. Some figures are standing, others are kneeling or lying on the ground. One person in the center holds a cross, surrounded by a mix of worried and praying faces. The background has tall pillars and a window with a view of buildings outside. Notice how the artist packed so many bodies into the frame—everyone looks tense, like they’re waiting for something big. The lines are sharp and the shading is simple, but the chaos feels real. If you like this style, look into woodcut to see how artists carved images into wood.
