Massacre of the Innocents
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Accession Number
1896-31-3
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Etienne Delaune's *Massacre of theents* (ca. 1560) captures one of the Bible's most harrowing episodes from the Gospel of Matthew: King Herod's ruthless order to slaughter infant boys in Bethlehem, hoping to eliminate the infant Jesus. This French artist (1519–1583), a skilled engraver and goldsmith associated with the Fontainebleau School, brought Mannerist elegance to the grim subject. Working under the influence of Italian masters like Rosso Fiorentino,une favored intricate designs with elongated figures and dynamic compositions, reflecting the refined, courtly tastes of 16th-century France...