The Virgin with Saints Jerome and Francis

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints collection, where *The Virgin with Saints Jerome and* (ca. 1660–80) shines as a masterful etching by Girolamo Rossi the Elder, after a composition by the renowned Bolognese artist Ludovico Carracci. This poignant religious scene depicts the Virgin Mary flanked by Saint Jerome, the scholarly penitent often shown with his lion and crucifix, and Saint Francis of Assisi, the humble friar celebrated for his love of nature and stigmata. Such groupings were popular in Catholic devotional art, evoking spiritual protection and contemplation during the Counter-Reformation era. Created as a reproductive print, this etching exemplifies 17th-century techniques that made high art accessible beyond elite patrons. Rossi's skilled use of etching—where acid etches intricate lines into a copper plate—captures Carracci's fluid naturalism and emotional depth, hallmarks of the Carracci family's reform against Mannerist excess. Measuring about 16 by 12 inches on the sheet, it reflects the growing print market in Italy, bridging painting and popular devotion. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1926, this work highlights the Met's commitment to preserving printmaking's legacy. Visitors can appreciate how it transported Carracci's Baroque precursors into homes and churches, fostering widespread piety and artistic appreciation.

About the Artist

Girolamo Rossi, the Elder|Ludovico Carracci (Italian|Italian) · 1630 |1555 –1700 |1619

Italian, born ca. 1630|Italian, Bologna 1555–1619 Bologna