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The Adoration of the Magi (Virgin of the Grotto)

A work made of engraving on paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving on paper.

Date:

c. 1500

Artist:

Workshop of Andrea Mantegna
Italian, 1431-1506

About this artwork

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.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Andrea Mantegna

Title

The Adoration of the Magi (Virgin of the Grotto)

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1495–1505

Medium

Engraving on paper

Dimensions

37.8 × 28 cm (14 15/16 × 11 1/16 in.)

Credit Line

Clarence Buckingham Collection

Reference Number

1941.1049

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/43247/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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