Christ healing the sick

Art Historical Context

This engraving, titled *Christ Healing the Sick*, captures a pivotal New Testament miracle in which Jesus restores health to the afflicted. Created in 1566, the print reflects the collaborative nature of 16th-century printmaking, with attributions to the Veronese artist Paolo Farinati, the engraver Ferrando Bertelli, and an anonymous hand. Farinati worked in the Mannerist style, favoring elongated figures and dramatic compositions that heighten emotional impact. The large sheet, measuring roughly 14 by 20 inches, was likely designed to reach a broad audience beyond church walls. Engravings such as this played a vital role in the Renaissance and Reformation era by disseminating religious imagery and artistic ideas across Europe. Fine lines and tonal shading allowed the printmaker to convey both the crowded scene of supplicants and the serene authority of Christ. Produced just after the Council of Trent, the work aligns with Counter-Reformation efforts to reaffirm Catholic devotion through vivid, accessible sacred art. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1949 as part of the Elisha Whittelsey Collection, the print exemplifies how reproductive techniques preserved and popularized compositions by leading draftsmen of the period. Its trimmed margins hint at a long history of appreciation by collectors who valued both its spiritual message and technical refinement.

About the Artist

Paolo Farinati|Ferrando Bertelli|Anonymous · 1524–1606

Italian painter and engraver. Comment on works: Religious