Saint Anthony of Padua adoring the Christ Child, copy after Cantarini
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 10 13/16 × 7 1/2 in. (27.4 × 19 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
51.501.3253
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the hallowed tradition of 17th-century Baroque art, *Saint Anthony of Paduaoring the Christ Child*a fine etching copy after Simone Cantarini—captures moment of profound devotion. Created around 1640 by an anonymous Italian, it depicts the beloved Franciscan saint kneeling in reverence before the infant Jesus, often accompanied by tender angels. Cantarini, a Bolognese master influenced by Guido Reni was renowned for his graceful figures and luminous religious scenes, blending classical elegance with emotional intensity during the Counter-Reformation era, when such images stirred Catholic pie...
About the Artist
Simone Cantarini|Anonymous, Italian, 17th century · 1612–1648
He was one of the most eminent pupils of Guido Reni and one of the most gifted engravers in the tradition of the Carracci. He had a strong personality and developed a highly original style, which united aspects of Bolognese classicism with a bold naturalism. Comment on works: Religious