Mantegna was a painter, graphic artist and copper engraver as well as a sculptor. The intellectual climate in Padua and the wealth of classical antiquity left a lasting impression on the young artist, as did his meeting with Donatello.

In 1460 Mantegna became court painter for the Gonzaga family in Mantua. The frescos which he created for the Camera degli Sposi of their palace are among the most innovative paintings of the late 15th century thanks to their illusionistic style. Around 1490 Mantegna directed his energies to copper engraving with great artistic and technical perfection, and his graphic work was a major contribution to the spread of innovations in Early Renaissance north of the Alps. The Marsyas in the Princely Collections also imparts an impression of his qualities as a sculptor.

Mantegna influenced both Italian and northern art. Both his brother-in-law Giovanni Bellini and Albrecht Dürer were able to embrace his formal language in their work.