Saint Nicholas of Bari and the Three Poor Girls
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 10 9/16 × 16 9/16 in. (26.9 × 42 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Raymond E. Lewis, 1970
Accession Number
1970.720
Art Historical Context
This 1587 engraving illustrates the well-known legend of Saint Nicholas secretly providing dowries for three impoverished girls, saving them from a life of hardship. Created during the late Renaissance, when religious prints flourished amid the Counter-Reformation’s emphasis on saints as models of charity, the scene would have resonated deeply with viewers seeking inspiration from acts of compassion and divine intervention. The work reflects the collaborative nature of print production at the time, with Jan van der Straet (called Stradanus) likely providing the design, Cornelis Cort contribut...
About the Artist
Cristofano Cartaro|Jan van der Straet, called Stradanus|Claudio Duchetti|Cornelis Cort|Giulio Roschi Hortini (Italian|Netherlandish|Italian|Netherlandish|Italian) · 1577 |1523 |1565 |1533 |1550 –1587 |1605 |1585 |1578 |1600
Italian, active Rome, 1577–87|Netherlandish, Bruges 1523–1605 Florence|Italian, active Venice and Rome, ca. 1565–died ca. 1585|Netherlandish, Hoorn ca. 1533–1578 Rome|Italian, active late 16th century