Head of the young Christ

Art Historical Context

This delicate color etching captures the serene face of the young Christ, rendered with soft contours and a gentle, introspective gaze. Created in 1779 by Heinrich Sintzenich after an original composition by the Italian Baroque painter Carlo Dolci, the print translates Dolci’s precise, devotional style into a reproducible format. Dolci, active in 17th-century Florence, was celebrated for his meticulous religious images that invited quiet contemplation and personal piety. Printed in color—an uncommon technique for the period—the etching brings warmth and immediacy to the sacred subject while allowing wider circulation of Dolci’s imagery beyond elite collectors. Its modest size further suggests it was intended for private devotion or study rather than grand display. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1951 through the Elisha Whittelsey Fund, the work exemplifies how 18th-century printmakers helped preserve and disseminate earlier Baroque devotional art for new audiences.