The Ascension of Christ

c. 1513

Albrecht Altdorfer

Associated Names
Albrecht Altdorfer

Artist, German, 1480 or before - 1538

This is a drawing of a group of figures gathered around a stone altar with an open book floating above in a cloud-filled sky. The drawing depicts several figures who appear to be looking upwards at the book which is surrounded by an abundance of clouds. The composition is filled with intricate line work. The stone altar and arrangement of figures give a sense of an important or mystical gathering, with an atmospheric mood accentuated by the swirling clouds. The artist's proficiency in capturing detailed textures and expressions is evident in the shading and cross-hatching techniques used.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    Gift of W.G. Russell Allen

  • Dimensions

    block: 7.2 × 4.8 cm (2 13/16 × 1 7/8 in.)
    sheet: 8 × 5.7 cm (3 1/8 × 2 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1941.1.145

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    New Hollstein, no. w. 37

  • Series Title

    The Fall and Redemption of Man

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Albertina, Vienna (duplicate, Lugt 5g). W.G. Russell Allen [1882-1955], Boston; gift to the NGA, 1941.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1963

  • Winzinger, Franz. Albrecht Altdorfer, Graphik: Holzschnitte, Kupferstiche, Radierungen. Munich: R.Piper and Co., 1963, no. 62.

1996

  • The New Hollstein German Engravings, Etchings and Woodcuts, 1400-1700. (Albrecht Aldorfer, Ursula Mielke, author). Rotterdam: Sound & Vision Interactive, 1996-, no. w. 37.

Wikidata ID

Q64952449

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