The Pentecost, with the Apostles and the Virgin sitting in a circle, the Holy Spirit appearing above them, and a donor kneeling at left
Medium
Etching and engraving
Dimensions
Plate: 17 9/16 × 11 1/4 in. (44.6 × 28.6 cm) Sheet: 20 13/16 × 15 1/4 in. (52.9 × 38.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1960
Accession Number
60.708(6)
Art Historical Context
This evocative print captures the biblical moment of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the Apostles and the Virgin Mary, filling them with divine inspiration. Seated in a harmonious circle the figures gaze upward as tongues of flame symbolize the Spirit presence above them. A kneeling donor at the left edge reminds viewers of the tradition of private patronage, linking personal devotion with this sacred event. Created between 1729 and 1740 through the combined techniques of etching and engraving, the work reflects the 18th-century practice of reproducing earlier religious composi...
About the Artist
Frédéric Horthemels|Gaudenzio Ferrari (Italian|French) · 1591 |1680 –1623 |1738
Italian, Rome (?) 1591/92–1623 Venice|French, 1680/88–1738