Artwork
Christ Taking Leave of His Mother
Christ Taking Leave of His Mother is a print by Daniel Hopfer. It dates from 1513 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
This shows Jesus hugging his mother before the crucifixion. Their faces glow softly against a dark background. The sorrow feels real, not dramatic.
Hopfer made this with a metal plate and acid. The lines cut deep into the plate, then ink fills them. The Cleveland Museum owns it.
Want to see how prints were made long ago? Look up Daniel Hopfer (German, c. 1470–1536).
Overview
Christ Taking Leave of His Mother is an etching by Daniel Hopfer, a German artist active in the early 16th century. Created around 1513, it is a print depicting a poignant moment from the Christian narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows Jesus embracing his mother before his crucifixion, a subject rooted in devotional imagery common in early 16th-century German art. The emotional intensity of the moment is conveyed through the contrast between the softly rendered faces and the dark surroundings.
Technique & Style
Hopfer used etching to create the print, employing iron plates and acid to achieve deep lines that hold ink. This technique, innovative for its time, reflects Hopfer's background in metalwork, including steel armor production.
History & Provenance
The print is now part of the Cleveland Museum of Art's collection. Its creation date of around 1513 situates it within Hopfer's early 16th-century oeuvre, a period when he was experimenting with etching as a medium.
Artist & collection
Artist
Daniel Hopfer (c. 1470 – 1536) was a German artist who is widely believed to have been the first to use etching in printmaking, at the end of the 15th century. He also worked in woodcut. Although his etchings were…
Interior of the Church of Saint Maria Magdalena with the Parable of the Offering of the Widow
Emperor Charles V
Emperor Charles V
The Virgin Mary Taking Leave of Christ
Jesus Christ Giving the Mission to the Apostles and Other New Testament Scenes
Soldier Embracing a Woman
Girolamo da Siena
The Virgin and Child with Saint Anne by a Portal
