Christ in Limbo
1512
Medium
engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to platemark): 11.6 × 7.5 cm (4 9/16 × 2 15/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.3511
Art Historical Context
Albrecht Dürer's *Christ in Limbo* (1512) is a masterful engraving on laid paper, measuring just 11.6 × 7.5 cm—small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet brimming with intricate detail. Created during the Northern Renaissance, this print captures a pivotal Christian scene: Christ's descent into the realm of the dead (Limbo) to liberate the souls of the righteous, a theme drawn from medieval theology and scripture. Dürer, a German artist renowned for his technical precision and expressive power, elevates this moment of salvation with dramatic contrasts of light and shadow. As one of the...
About the Artist
Albrecht Dürer · 1471–1528
Albrecht Dürer (1471–1528) stands as the preeminent figure of the Northern Renaissance and arguably the most influential artist in the history of printmaking. Born in Nuremberg on May 21, 1471, and dying in the same city on April 6, 1528, Dürer revolutionized the status of the artist in Northern Europe, transforming printmaking from a commercial craft into an independent fine art and establishing ...