Virgin and Child

The painter Andrea Mantegna’s engravings have been at the center of much art-historical controversy. Existing documents suggest that he commissioned other artists to engrave some of his prints for him, and that other engravings may have been made from Mantegna drawings. This monumental image of the humble Virgin Mary huddled with the infant Christ on the ground is one of the closest to Mantegna's engraving style. Whether or not he engraved it himself, the powerful diagonal strokes, the expressive features of the figures, and the Madonna's sculptural drapery proclaim the work's master.