Mercurius als personificatie van Deugd redt zielen bij voorgeborchte en Daphne verandert in boom 1490s

"Mercurius als personificatie van Deugd redt zielen bij voorgeborchte en Daphne verandert in boom" (Mercury as the personification of Virtue saves souls at the gate and Daphne transforms into a tree) is an engraving by Andrea Mantegna, a renowned Italian Renaissance artist. This intricate composition depicts a scene of salvation, with Mercury, depicted as Virtue, reaching down to pull a soul from a pile of bodies, symbolizing the struggle against sin. The engraving's detailed architecture and powerful figures demonstrate Mantegna's mastery of perspective and anatomical realism, characteristics that became hallmarks of Early Renaissance art. The artwork, created in the 1490s, showcases Mantegna's interest in classical mythology and his exploration of the human condition.