Head of Christ, after Reni
Medium
Etching and aquatint in brown ink
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 19 15/16 × 14 7/16 in. (50.7 × 36.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.4426
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold the serene *Head of Christ, aftereni* (1783), a masterful print that pays homage to the Baroque genius Guido Reni, whose original painting captures the divine tenderness of Christ's visage. Created by German engravers Johann Friedrich Bause and Adam Friedrich Oeser, this exemplifies 18th-century reproductive printmaking, which democratized access to revered masterpieces for collectors and devotees across Europe. Reni's idealized, soft-featured Christ—emblematic of his elegant Baroque style—evokes quiet spirituality, a motif beloved in religious art from the Counter-Reformation era. Cra...
About the Artist
Guido Reni|Johann Friedrich Bause|Adam Friedrich Oeser · 1575–1642
Guido Reni (1575–1642) was one of the most celebrated Italian painters of the Baroque era and the dominant figure of the Bolognese School. Born into a family of musicians in Bologna, he trained first with Denys Calvaert before joining the influential Accademia degli Incamminati led by Ludovico Carracci. Reni achieved international fame through his idealizing style that combined Baroque dynamism wi...