Descent from the Cross c. 1520 - 1523

Curator: Ugo da Carpi’s “Descent from the Cross,” dating from the early 16th century, presents a moment of profound grief. The print on laid paper, rendered in chiaroscuro woodcut, captures the removal of Christ's body. What strikes you first? Editor: The sheer agony. It's almost tactile—the way the figures cluster, supporting and mourning, the drama of light. It is raw, but so stylized. Curator: Da Carpi's masterful use of the woodcut technique allowed for such striking tonal contrasts. Think about the labor involved in carving those blocks, layering ink. Editor: Right, it's a process so distant from the immediacy we expect now. Makes you wonder about the hands that touched it, the workshops, the whole world of its making, doesn't it? Curator: Indeed. It blurs the lines between devotional object and commodity. Editor: It’s just a very affecting image, even now. Haunting, really. Curator: It's a powerful reminder of the intersection of faith, artistry, and the material world. Editor: Absolutely. A conversation starter, even centuries later.