Artwork
Christ taking leave of his Mother
Christ taking leave of his Mother is a paint painting by the Mannerist artist Lorenzo Lotto. It dates from 1521 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
This painting shows Mary saying goodbye to Jesus before he leaves. It’s an oil painting made in 1521. The artist is Lorenzo Lotto.
Lotto painted the scene with care. The mood feels quiet, almost like a private moment. His work here has some things in common with Correggio’s smaller version of the same scene.
Check out another painting by Correggio at the National Gallery in London.
Overview
Lorenzo Lotto’s oil on canvas, dated 1521, portrays the biblical episode in which Christ bids farewell to his mother before departing for Jerusalem. The work, now housed in Berlin’s Gemäldegalerie, measures a modest size and is signed by the artist with the inscription “Laurentjo / Lotto Pictor / 1521.”
Subject & Meaning
The composition captures a devotional scene absent from the canonical Gospels but common in medieval literature: Christ’s parting with the Virgin Mary. Mary is flanked by female saints and the apostle John, while Peter and James the Great appear to the left, underscoring the theological weight of the impending Passion.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the painting displays Lotto’s careful handling of light and colour, creating an intimate atmosphere. The arrangement of figures echoes the formal balance of an Annunciation, a device also employed by Correggio in his smaller version of the same subject, suggesting a shared visual vocabulary among early‑sixteenth‑century artists.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in the same year Lotto completed the Santo Spirito and San Bernardino altarpieces for Bergamo patroness Elisabetta Rota, who is depicted in the lower right corner. Rota’s husband, Domenico Tassi, commissioned related works from Lotto, including a St Jerome and a Nativity that likely formed a companion pair with the Berlin painting.
Context
The scene reflects the period’s emphasis on personal piety, inviting viewers to contemplate Christ’s sacrifice through a tender familial moment. By integrating saints and apostolic figures, Lotto situates the farewell within a broader theological framework, aligning personal devotion with the collective narrative of the Passion.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 – 1556/57) was an Italian Renaissance painter, draughtsman, and illustrator, traditionally placed in the Venetian school, though much of his career was spent in other north Italian cities. He…
