Ascension of Christ

c. 1515

Albrecht Dürer

(German, 1471–1528)

Culture

Germany

Medium

pen and brown ink

Support

Beige(1) laid paper

Measurements

Sheet: 31 x 22.1 cm (12 3/16 x 8 11/16 in.); Framed: 52.5 x 39.8 x 2.3 cm (20 11/16 x 15 11/16 x 7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of the Hanna Fund 1952.530

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Location

Not on view

Description

Forty days after his Resurrection, Christ made his final appearance to his apostles. The story of the Ascension (Acts 1:9-12) tells that Christ's apostles were standing with him on the Mount of Olives when he was lifted up and taken to heaven in a cloud. Dürer depicted Christ with the traditional signs of his role as world saviour-making a gesture of blessing with his right hand and holding a cross-topped globe in his left. The artist included cherubs in the cloud, along with Christ's footprints, which, according to later tradition, were preserved on the Mount of Olives.