1500
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Purgatory is a 1500 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a black-and-white woodcut scene with sharp lines and no shading. At the top, a winged figure reaches down toward two people below—one kneeling, the other lying on the ground. The background has a rocky, chaotic look with flames and a few small figures in the distance. The text around the image is in Latin, likely explaining the scene’s religious meaning. The woodcut style keeps everything simple and bold, with no soft edges. Want to learn more? Try looking up woodcut to see how this printing method worked.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
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