The Descent from the Cross 1570

Diana Scultori made this engraving called "The Descent from the Cross" in Italy during the late 16th century. The print depicts the removal of Christ's body from the cross, a common subject in the art of this period, and the artist creates meaning here through the highly formalized visual language of religious art and a dense network of references to the institutions of the church. Scultori was unusual as a woman artist making her way in a male-dominated profession. She was the daughter of a printmaker, and her access to that professional network surely shaped her career. Inscribed at the bottom left of the image is the artist’s name, and her decision to include it speaks to an ambition to be recognized as an individual artist in her own right, within a heavily patriarchal society. Understanding the context of this print involves a broader consideration of the role of women in Renaissance art. Scultori’s inclusion of her name, along with analysis of archival records from the period, allows historians to build a more complete picture of her importance in cultural history.