Christ on the Mount of Olives

Albrecht Dürer 1471 - 1528

Summary

A reproduction produced by the Vasari Society of a drawing by Albrecht Dürer. The drawing is an illustration of the biblical Agony in the Garden. It shows Jesus in the top left-hand corner, kneeling with arms outstretched. He is facing a smaller figure above, who is holding a crucifix. Below Jesus two men, identified in the text below as his Apostles, are sleeping. One has a dagger hanging from his wrist. Another figure on the right-hand side appears to have his eyes open. There are trees of various shapes in the background, and a fence is visible beyond these. Text from the accompanying booklet produced by the Vasari Society: "No. 21 ALBRECHT DÜRER (b. 1471; d. 1528) CHRIST ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES Collection of Lord Hampton, at Waresley Court, near Kidderminster; from the Lely Collection. Recently detached from a folio English Bible illustrated by the insertion of engravings and woodcuts. Pen and ink; signed and dated 1520. Watermark: shield with three fleurs-de-lis and letter 't' beneath, closely resembling Briquet, No. 1742. A hitherto unpublished member of the group of oblong drawings of Passion subjects, dating chiefly from the years 1520-1, but resumed in 1523-4 (Pauli, nos. 923-4, 1040-4, 1164). The drawing resembles in several particulars the other versions of the Agony in the Garden at Frankfurt and Berlin, but differs from each of them by the greater prominence given to the group of sleeping Apostles, a circumstance which probably led to the rejection of this design and the substitution of others in 1521 and 1524. C. D."