Ascension of Christ

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.