The Holy Family with Saints
1540/55
Medium
Etching in black with engraving on ivory laid paper, tipped onto cream wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 24.1 × 19.4 cm (9 1/2 × 7 11/16 in.); Sheet: 25.4 × 21.5 cm (10 × 8 1/2 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
151509
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Here the Fontainebleau School etcher Léon Davent brought his bold etching style to a traditional subject, the sacred conversation. The many figures surrounding the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph engage with them in discussion, as well as worship. These include Saint John the Baptist (embracing Christ), Saint John the Evangelist, and Mary Magdalene. Davent made many prints after the influential Italian artist Primaticcio, who was active in Francis I’s service at Fontainebleau. Th...
About the Artist
Léon Davent · 1540–1556
**Léon Davent** (also known as Master L.D. or the monogrammist L.D.) was a French printmaker active in the mid-16th century, best known for his work in both engraving and etching. He played a leading role in the printmaking workshop associated with the First School of Fontainebleau at the Palace of Fontainebleau during the 1540s. His prints, often signed simply “L.D.,” reproduced designs by Italia...