{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O517094"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O517094/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CP9336/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2009CP9336/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2009CP9336","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2017JR8893","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O517094/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O517094","accessionNumber":"CAI.603","objectType":"Print","titles":[{"title":"Descent into Limbo","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The composition is famous for the unusual placement of the figure of Christ, with his back to the viewer as he enters into Limbo. It also shows Mantegna's interest in rock formations, which he studied from nature.\r\n\r\nThere has been some debate about whether Mantegna engraved more than the seven works usually assigned to him, or even whether he engraved any himself. From 1475 Mantegna is known to have been looking for a professional engraver to work for him, but one is not known of until the 1490s.\r\n\r\nThis print is among those that some scholars include in an expanded list of works engraved by Mantegna himself. The attribution of this work to Mantegna himself is based on comparison between the preparatory drawing and print, showing how changes to the design were engraved directly onto the plate without preparation. \r\n\r\nWhether this print was engraved by Mantegna or someone working from his drawings, it reflects a new practice of artists reproducing their drawings in print. Collectors accepted prints taken from drawings as originals to be prized in their own right. From about 1490 Mantegna employed Antonio da Brescia to engrave copies to satisfy this demand for them - included among these is a variation of this composition.","physicalDescription":"An archway set into a rock and guarded by winged demons blowing horns. Christ with his Resurrection banner enters the archway. He stands on the broken door. A man (usually identified as the Good Thief, Dimas or Dismas) stands to his left holding the Cross. To the right are a group of men and a woman who appear tormented, one holding his hands to his ears. Two of these are usually identified as Adam and Eve.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Mantegna, Andrea","id":"A6627"},"association":{"text":"engraver","id":"AAT25165"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Engraving on paper","categories":[{"text":"Prints","id":"THES48903"},{"text":"Religion","id":"THES48900"},{"text":"Christianity","id":"THES48978"}],"styles":[{"text":"Renaissance","id":"AAT21140"},{"text":"Broad Manner","id":"AAT41503"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2009CP9336","2017JR8893"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLD","id":"THES49658"},"free":"","case":"IONIDES","shelf":"13","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"print","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Mantua","id":"x35230"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1475-1480","earliest":"1470-01-01","latest":"1480-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Constantine Alexander Ionides","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"42","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"trimmed","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"32.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"trimmed","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Andrea Mantegna, engraving, Descent into Limbo; Mantua, Italy, ca. 1475-1480.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bartsch, Adam von, 1757-1821. <u>The illustrated Bartsch</u>. New York : Abaris Books, 1978-, no. 13."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Mantegna, Andrea, 1431-1506. <u>Andrea Mantegna</u>. London : Royal Academy of Arts in association with Electa, Milano ; New York : Metropolitan Museum of Art : Distributed by Abrams, 1992."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Christiansen, Keith. 'The Case for Mantegna as Printmaker', in <u>The Burlington Magazine</u>. Vol. 135, No. 1086 (Sep., 1993), pp. 604-612."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Bartsch, Adam von. <u>Le Peintre Graveur</u>. Vienna, 1811. Vol XIII."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Hind, A.M. <u>Early Italian Engraving</u>. Washington, 1948. Part 2, Vol. 5."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Landau, David and Peter Parshall. <u>The Renaissance Print: 1470-1550</u>. Yale University Press, 1994."}],"production":"In Mantegna exhibition catalogue (1992) this is catalogued as being by Andrea Mantegna himself.","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Jesus Christ","id":"N1515"},{"text":"Adam and Eve","id":"N4430"},{"text":"Dismas","id":"N11025"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[{"text":"The Descent into Limbo","id":"V121"}],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"devils","id":"x33590"},{"text":"horns","id":"AAT42281"},{"text":"men","id":"AAT25928"},{"text":"woman","id":"x35642"},{"text":"Cross","id":"x31528"},{"text":"Banner of the Resurrection","id":"x40275"},{"text":"door","id":"AAT2803"},{"text":"archway","id":"AAT2771"},{"text":"rock","id":"AAT11692"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["CAI.603"],"accessionNumberNum":"603","accessionNumberPrefix":"CAI","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Le Peintre-Graveur","id":"THES50256"},"number":"13"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-12","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-30","availableToBook":false}}