The Holy Family and Saint John the Baptist playing with a lamb, an angel at right
Medium
Engraving; second state of two
Dimensions
Plate: 4 7/8 × 5 3/8 in. (12.4 × 13.7 cm) Sheet (Trimmed): 5 1/16 × 5 9/16 in. (12.9 × 14.1 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
51.501.7351
Tags
Art Historical Context
This engraving captures a tender, intimate moment from Christian tradition: the Christ Child and young Saint John the Baptist playfully interact with a lamb, symbol of innocence and sacrifice, while Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and a watchful angel look on. Created around 1631, the print is based on a design by Peter Paul Rubens, the leading Flemish Baroque master known for his dynamic and warm, humanistic approach to religious subjects. Engravers Frans van den Wyngaerde and Willem Panne translated Rubens’s lively drawing into this detailed print, issued in two states that show subtle refinement...