Artwork
Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Descent into Limbo [right panel]
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Descent into Limbo [right panel], by Andrea Vanni, tempera, 1384](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-descent-into-limbo-rig--9eb5d32175c31b6f-w1024.webp)
Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Descent into Limbo [right panel] is a tempera painting by the Byzantine icon painting artist Andrea Vanni. It dates from 1384 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. Andrea di Vanni's Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Descent into Limbo is a tempera painting from approximately 1384.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in black paint on the scroll held by God the Father: Destruxit quidam mortes inferni / et subvertit potentias diaboli; in black paint on the scroll held by Saint John the Baptist: ECCE.ANGIUS[AGNUS]. (Behold the Lamb)
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The right panel of Andrea di Vanni's Scenes from the Passion of Christ depicts the Harrowing of Hell, a specific episode within the broader Passion narrative.
The right panel of Andrea di Vanni's Scenes from the Passion of Christ depicts the Harrowing of Hell, a specific episode within the broader Passion narrative. In this religious scene, Christ is shown descending into Limbo to liberate the righteous souls held there prior to his resurrection. The subject serves as a visual representation of Christ's triumph over death and his power to redeem humanity from the bondage of the underworld.
As a work of religious art, the panel emphasizes the theological significance of the descent, illustrating the moment of salvation for the Old Testament patriarchs and other virtuous figures awaiting deliverance.
Technique & Style
The Descent into Limbo, serving as the right panel of Andrea di Vanni's Scenes from the Passion of Christ, is executed in tempera on a wooden panel support. Created during the 1380s, the work adheres to the traditional religious painting techniques of the late Trecento, utilizing egg tempera pigments applied to a rigid panel rather than canvas or fresco. As a religious narrative piece depicting the Harrowing of Hell, the formal qualities align with the devotional function of the altarpiece.
The painting has been preserved as part of the National Gallery of Art's collection, having transitioned from the Corcoran Gallery of Art after its bequest in 1926. No specific details regarding current surface condition, restoration history, or precise stylistic brushwork variations are provided in the available records.
History & Provenance
Created during the 1380s by Andrea di Vanni, this tempera on panel painting depicts the Harrowing of Hell. The work entered the collection of William Andrews Clark in New York no later than 1919. Following Clark's death in 1925, the painting was bequeathed to the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington in 1926.
It remained part of the Corcoran's holdings until 2014, when it was acquired by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The panel is presently housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. The work entered the museum's collection in 2014 after being acquired from the Corcoran Gallery of Art, which had received the piece as a bequest from industrialist William Andrews Clark in 1926. The painting, attributed to Andrea di Vanni and dated to the 1380s, remains part of the National Gallery's permanent holdings. No exhibition records specific to this panel are documented in the sources consulted.
Overview
Andrea di Vanni's Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Descent into Limbo is a tempera painting from approximately 1384. This right panel depicts a pivotal moment in Christian theology, illustrating Christ's journey into the underworld to liberate souls. The work exemplifies late medieval Italian painting, characterized by its detailed narrative and devotional purpose.
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Crucifixion [middle panel]](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-crucifixion-middle-pan--abe5469a28e77ac7-w320.webp)
Artist & collection
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Agony in the Garden, the Crucifixion, and the Descent into Limbo [entire triptych], by Andrea Vanni](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-agony-in-the-garden-th--1ebebae2d86a2ec2-w320.webp)
![Scenes from the Passion of Christ: The Agony in the Garden [left panel], by Andrea Vanni](https://artifactworldgallery.com/img/andrea-vanni--scenes-from-the-passion-of-christ-the-agony-in-the-garden-le--2bad16de75eee8eb-w320.webp)
