The Agony in the Garden c. 1506 - 1507

Benedetto Montagna created this print, The Agony in the Garden, in Italy sometime around the early 16th century. It depicts a pivotal scene from the New Testament during which Christ prays the night before his crucifixion while his disciples sleep nearby. Prints like this one were made for a burgeoning market of collectors, part of a growing art economy. Although ostensibly religious, this image must also be seen in the context of debates about the power of the Catholic Church, the rise of merchant capitalism, and the humanist revival of classical art. Montagna's image draws on visual codes of both religious and secular art to convey its meaning. The architectural details in the background, for example, emphasize the contemporary settings to which the story is translated. Meanwhile, the angel and the chalice reference the divine intervention that will set Christianity on its course. Historical research into economic records, theological debates, and the artist’s biography all help us to better understand the social and institutional forces at play in Montagna’s work.