The Circumcision of Christ, a group of men and women surrounding him, an angel in the foreground, after Reni
Medium
Engraving and etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 19 15/16 × 14 7/16 in. (50.7 × 36.6 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
51.501.4424
Tags
Art Historical Context
This evocative print, *The Circumcision of Christ*, captures a pivotal biblical moment from Luke 2:21, where the infant Jesus undergoes the Jewish rite of circumcision amid a tender gathering of men, women, and an angelic figure in the foreground. Originally painted by the renowned Baroque master Guido Reni (1575–1642), known for his graceful, idealized figures and luminous religious scenes, this 1765 reproduction faithfully interprets Reni's composition. Reni's style, blending classical elegance with emotional depth, made such subjects popular in Counter-Reformation art, emphasizing divine hu...