Sketches for Christ in Limbo 1548 - 1628

These sketches for ‘Christ in Limbo’ were made with pen and brown ink by Jacopo Palma, called Il Giovane, in Venice during the late 16th or early 17th century. Palma was working in a society still processing the reforms of the Protestant Reformation. The sketches explore the story of Christ’s descent into Limbo, a space in some Christian beliefs where righteous souls who died before Christ awaited his arrival. You can see Christ here, sword in hand, liberating souls from their shadowy confinement. These figures, yearning and reaching, represent a range of humanity awaiting salvation. Palma’s Venice was a hub of artistic innovation, but also deeply stratified along lines of class and religious affiliation. His work often grapples with themes of redemption and the human condition, reflecting the turbulent times in which he lived. Consider how Palma uses the dynamism of the pen strokes to convey both the power of Christ and the desperation of those he saves.