Massacre of the Innocents

Art Historical Context

Behold the dramatic *Massacre of the Innocents a chiaroscuro woodcut ( block only) created around 1544 by the enigmatic Master ND, working in the style of the Renaissance giant Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino (Raphael). This poignant print, measuring 11 9/16 x 20 7/8 inches, captures the biblical tragedy from the Gospel of Matthew, where Herod orders the slaughter of innocent children in a futile bid to eliminate the infant Jesus. The composition teems with anguish—men, women, and children locked in a frenzy of suffering—evoking profound empathy through its raw emotional intensity. As a woodcut from the chiaroscuro tradition, this key block provided the intricate line work that defined forms and shadows, typically paired with a tone block for luminous depth (though only the key survives here). Master ND, named for a cryptic monogram, was a 16th-century printmaker renowned for faithfully reproducing Raphael's compositions, bridging painting and printmaking during the High Renaissance. Acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1922, it resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department. This artwork's cultural weight lies in its unflinching depiction of violence against the vulnerable, a timeless theme that resonated in an era of religious turmoil and artistic innovation. Visitors are drawn to its technical mastery and haunting narrative, a testament to how prints democratized Raphael's genius for wider audiences.