Purgatory c. 1500

"Purgatory" is a 16th-century woodcut depicting a scene from the Catholic tradition. The image portrays an angel carrying a soul away from a fiery purgatory, where other souls are being tormented. The scene illustrates the belief that those who have died in sin can be purified before entering heaven, a popular concept in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The woodcut's stark black and white imagery reinforces the gravity of the theme, making it a powerful example of religious art from the period.