The Virgin in prayer, looking at the sleeping infant Christ, in an oval frame, after Reni
Medium
Engraving and etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 16 15/16 × 20 5/16 in. (43 × 51.6 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
51.501.4588
Tags
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Virgin in Prayer, Looking at the Sleeping Infant, in an Oval Frame a captivating 1765 engraving and that reproduces a tender Baroque composition by the renowned Italian artist Guido Reni (1575–1642). Reni, a master of the Bolognese School, was celebrated for his graceful religious scenes blending classical elegance with emotional depth, evoking Raphael's serenity and Caravaggio's drama. Here, the Virgin Mary gazes prayerfully at the slumbering Christ Child, embodying maternal devotion and divine innocence—a timeless motif in Christian iconography that invited contemplation of faith...
About the Artist
Guido Reni|John Boydell|Simon Francis Ravenet, the elder · 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...