Workshop of Andrea Mantegna
Italian, 1431-1506
The Adoration of the Magi (Virgin of the Grotto)
INV-4324
Workshop of Andrea Mantegna
Italian, 1431-1506c. 1500
The Adoration of the Magi (Virgin of the Grotto)
Workshop of Andrea Mantegna Italian, 1431-1506 →engravingprint
Date
c. 1500
Medium
Engraving on paper
Dimensions
37.8 × 28 cm (14 15/16 × 11 1/16 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Clarence Buckingham Collection
This unfinished engraving presents the Adoration of the Magi in a cave instead of its typical stable setting. The unusual cropping to a detail of Mantegna’s original painting alludes to the grotesque style of art that was popular at the time the print was made. The word “grotto” (or grotta in Italian) literally translates into “cave,” while the grotesque style was patterned on antique paintings found underground that featured images of bizarre creatures or people, intermingled with foliage, columns, and animals.
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