The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 22, 2025

Descent into Limbo

c. 1490–1500

Giovanni Antonio da Brescia

(Italian)

after Andrea Mantegna

(Italian, 1431–1506)
Italy, 15th century
engraving
Sheet: 41.2 x 28.2 cm (16 1/4 x 11 1/8 in.); Mat Size: 56 x 40.7 cm (22 1/16 x 16 in.)
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1926.261
Catalogue raisonné: Hind V(II).19.9a
Location: Not on view

Description

This subject, also known as the Harrowing of Hell, recounts Christ’s descent into limbo, the first circle of hell, to liberate the souls of Old Testament saints. The church taught that those who lived and died in an era without the Christian sacraments were relegated to a lower place until Christ could come redeem them. Here Christ, holding the banner of the Resurrection, enters through a doorway. Broken from its hinges, the door has fallen to the ground over which Christ triumphantly walks. A group of figures await their redemption, including Adam and Eve to the right. Above, a group of demons emerge from the cavern, sounding trumpets to announce Christ’s arrival.
  • Prasse, Leona. "The Engraving of Andrea Mantegna." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 43, no. 4 (April 1956): 59-62. Mentioned: p. 61 www.jstor.org
  • Medieval Monsters: Terrors, Aliens, Wonders. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (July 7-October 6, 2019).
    Early Italian Engraving: 1460's - 1530's. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 25-October 27, 2002).
    Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; August 25-October 27, 2002. "Early Italian Engravings: 1460s - 1530s."
    Italian and German Prints of the 15th Century. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 29, 1933-January 3, 1934).
  • {{cite web|title=Descent into Limbo|url=false|author=Giovanni Antonio da Brescia, Andrea Mantegna|year=c. 1490–1500|access-date=22 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1926.261