The Holy Family with Saint Clare, counterproof
1590–1600
Medium
Etching; counterproof
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 9 9/16 × 7 5/16 in. (24.3 × 18.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.70.4(77)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the tender embrace of Guido Reni's *The Holy Family with Saint, counterproof*, an intimate etching from the artist's formative years around 1590–1600. Created when Reni was a young protégé in Bologna's vibrant Carracci academy, this work captures the Virgin Mary cradling the Christ Child, joined by Joseph and the devoted Saint Clare of Assisi.eni's early Baroque style shines through in the graceful, idealized figures, evoking quiet piety and familial warmth—a theme central to Counter-Reformation art that reaffirmed Catholic devotion amid religious upheaval. This piece is a rare coun...
About the Artist
Guido Reni · 1575–1642
Guido Reni (1575–1642) was one of the most celebrated Italian painters of the Baroque era and the dominant figure of the Bolognese School. Born into a family of musicians in Bologna, he trained first with Denys Calvaert before joining the influential Accademia degli Incamminati led by Ludovico Carracci. Reni achieved international fame through his idealizing style that combined Baroque dynamism wi...