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Albrecht Dürer

The Harrowing of Hell - Christ in Limbo, plate nine from The Large Passion

1510
Woodcut in black on ivory laid paper
40.2 × 28.7 cm (15.8 × 11.3 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This woodcut was part of Albrecht Dürer’s famous series of 12 prints detailing the Passion of Christ. Published in 1511, the prints illustrated a text by the monk Benedictus Chelidonius. The Harrowing of Hell occurred immediately after Christ’s crucifixion, when he descended to hell to release the good souls who had died prior to his own death.

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