Saint Anthony of Padua Holding the Christ Child
1640s
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed within platemark): 8.1 × 6.2 cm (3 3/16 × 2 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Ailsa Mellon Bruce Fund
Accession Number
1971.37.30
Art Historical Context
In the serene intimacy of this etching, *Saint Anthony of Padua Holding Christ Child*, Simone Cant captures a tender moment from Franciscan devotion. Created in the 1640s, the Bolognese artist—known for his elegant Baroque style influenced by masters like Guido Reni—icts the beloved 13th-century saint cradling the infant Jesus, a motif rooted in a popular legend where the Christ Child appeared to Anthony during prayer, symbolizing divine favor and spiritual intimacy. Etched on laid paper, this diminutive print (just 8.1 × 6.2 cm) showcases Cantarini's mastery of the intaglio technique, where ...
About the Artist
Simone Cantarini · 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