Room 64

A sharply described face or a curling fold of cloth can make a small panel feel full of energy. Artists working in German-speaking cities used firm outlines and expressive detail in both religious pictures and portraits. Printmaking helped images travel widely, giving artists new ways to share designs and reach viewers. The Reformation later changed religious life and the demand for sacred pictures across the region. Look at the differences between a devotional scene and a portrait intended to preserve a likeness. The room includes Christ taking Leave of his Mother and the Portrait of a Woman of the Hofer Family, whose close detail rewards patient looking.