Saint Joseph and Christ Child, with Saints Mark and Anthony
Medium
Pen and brown ink, with brush and brown wash, on tan laid paper, squared in black chalk, laid down on gray laid paper
Dimensions
22.6 × 19.5 cm (8 15/16 × 7 11/16 in.)
Classification
ink or chalk wash
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
84861
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, *Saint Joseph and Christ Child with Saints Mark and Anthony hails from the School of Reni, the renowned 17th-century Bolog Baroque master celebrated for his graceful religious compositions. Created in an undated work (likely mid-1600s), it captures tender holy family scene augmented by the evangelist Saint Mark and Saint Anthony Abbot, reflecting the Counter-Reformation's emphasis on devotional imagery that humanized sacred figures for the faithful. Executed in pen and brown ink with brush and brown wash on tan laid paper, the piece exemplifies Baroque draftsmanship's f...