A Chalice

Wenceslaus Hollar made this etching from a drawing in the 14th Earl of Arundel’s collection that was attributed to Andreas Mantegna. It entered the British Museum in the late 19th century, and was termed an anonymous Venetian work. This etching and Seleucus and His Son are two of four prints Hollar made from 1637 to 1641 after objects in Arundel’s collection. The detailed religious designs on the bowl of the chalice depict scenes from the Passion of Christ, while angels and apostles surround the stem. The abstract arch just above the chalice suggests a hovering communion wafer.