Christ Child and Secondary Child Figure Bearing the Cross (recto); Fragment of Design for Ornamental Border (verso)
Medium
Pen and light brown ink reinforced with black chalk (recto). Border line drawn in black chalk along top and left side of sheet. On off-white paper. Composition (unknown) pricked for transfer (verso)
Dimensions
5-1/4 x 4-1/8 in. (13.3 x 10.5 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. William B. Jaffe, 1956
Accession Number
56.235.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate 17th-century drawing from the School of Seville captures a tender yet poignant scene of the Christ Child accompanied by a secondary child figure bearing the cross. Created by an anonymous Spanish artist, the work reflects the deep religious devotion that characterized Baroque Spain, where such imagery served to inspire contemplation of Christ's sacrifice even in his infancy. The small scale—roughly five by four inches—suggests it may have been intended as a personal devotional piece or a study for a larger composition. Executed in pen and light brown ink reinforced with black ch...