The Assumption of the Virgin with the Virgin surrounded by cherubs and with the Apostles Below
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 5/16 × 5 1/2 in. (16 × 13.9 cm) Plate: 6 × 5 3/16 in. (15.2 × 13.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.599.46
Tags
Art Historical Context
Cherubino Alberti's *The Assumption of the Virgin with Virgin surrounded by cherubs with the Apostles Below*1574) captures a pivotal moment in Christian iconography: the Virgin Mary's ascent to heaven, encircled by joyful cherubs while the Apostles gaze upward in awe below. Created during the late Renaissance in Rome, this engraving reflects the era's fervent Counter-Reformation spirit, where vivid depictions of biblical scenes reinforced Catholic devotion amid Protestant challenges. As a master engraver, Alberti employed intricate line work typical of the medium, incising designs into a copp...
About the Artist
Cherubino Alberti (Zaccaria Mattia) · 1553–1615
Cherubino Alberti (1553–1615), also known by his birth name Zaccaria Mattia, was an Italian engraver and painter active in Rome during the late Renaissance and early Baroque periods. Born in Borgo San Sepolcro in Tuscany, he came from an artistically inclined family and received training that equipped him for work in both painting and the reproductive graphic arts. It was as a printmaker, however,...