The Flagellation of Christ, with the Pavement

The Flagellation of Christ, with the Pavement, an intensely dramatic print created by the School of Andrea Mantegna Italian, 1431-1506, dates to the crucial High Renaissance period between 1475 and 1480. This significant work is executed as an engraving in black on delicate ivory laid paper. The medium of engraving allowed the Mantegna circle to achieve remarkable clarity and detail, techniques essential to disseminating complex figurative compositions across Renaissance Italy.

The technical mastery evident in this piece reflects the deep interest in classical antiquity and rigorous linear perspective typical of the Mantegna school. While focused on the spiritual subject of Christ’s suffering before his Passion, the composition places equal emphasis on the environment. The detailed architectural setting, particularly the geometrically rendered tiled floor referenced in the title, demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of Renaissance spatial construction and scientific perspective.

Originating in Italy, this classification as a print highlights the burgeoning importance of reproductive media as a means of artistic dissemination during the late 15th century. The complex figure compositions and powerful musculature displayed in this work were highly influential, impacting subsequent printmakers and painters across Europe. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this significant example of Italian prints in its permanent collection. Due to its age and historical importance, high-resolution reproductions of this Mantegna-school engraving are often available within the public domain, allowing broader study of this masterful quattrocento work.