Massacre of the Innocents
16th century
Medium
Pen and brown ink over red chalk on cream paper
Dimensions
10-3/4 x 16-5/8 in. (27.3 x 42.2 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cornelius Vanderbilt, 1880
Accession Number
80.3.43
Tags
Art Historical Context
This poignant drawing, *Massacre of the Innoc*, captures a harrowing biblical scene from the Gospel of Matthew, where King Herod orders the slaughter of infant boys in Bethlehem to eliminate the newborn Jesus. Created by an anonymous Italian artist in the 16th century it exemplifies the dramatic intensity of Renaissance and early Mannerist art, where religious narratives were rendered with raw emotion to evoke empathy and devotion. Executed in pen and brown ink red chalk on cream paper10-3/4 x 16-5/8 in.), the work showcases masterful preparatory techniques common in Italian workshops. The su...