Descent into Limbo
c. 1475
Medium
engraving on laid paper (by Gian Marco Cavalli?)
Dimensions
sheet: 44 x 35.3 cm (17 5/16 x 13 7/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of W.G. Russell Allen
Accession Number
1941.1.8
Art Historical Context
Created around 1475 in the workshop of Andrea Mantegna, *Descent into Limbo* captures a pivotal moment from Christian tradition: Christ’s descent to liberate the souls of the righteous who died before his resurrection. Mantegna, a leading figure of the Italian Renaissance, was renowned for his fascination with classical antiquity and his mastery of perspective. Though executed by members of his workshop—possibly the engraver Gian Marco Cavalli—the print reflects the artist’s distinctive linear precision and dramatic compositions. As an engraving on laid paper, this work exemplifies the innova...