Two Studies for Christ at the Column 1459

"Two Studies for Christ at the Column" is a 1459 pen and ink drawing on paper by Andrea Mantegna, a prominent figure of the Early Renaissance in Padua. This artwork depicts Christ tied to a column, as he endures a brutal scourging, a moment of immense suffering in Christian tradition. The detailed anatomical studies of Christ's body reveal Mantegna’s fascination with human form and his desire for realism in art. This drawing, now held at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, is a testament to Mantegna's remarkable draughtsmanship and his focus on the human condition.