The Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and the infant Saint John the Baptist (ca. 1615–75, Met-Objekt 1170)
Original title: The Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and the infant Saint John the Baptist
kurzbeschreibung
Phillip Joseph Tassaert made this etching at some point between about 1615 and 1675. It brings the Holy Family together with Saint Elizabeth and the young John the Baptist in a quiet domestic gathering.
Description
Mary sits up front with the Christ child on her lap, while the boy John kneels beside her. Behind Mary, the older Elizabeth steps forward and gently touches the child's hand. Joseph stands further back, his gaze fixed attentively on the infant. The layout is symmetrical, with the figures lined up in a row. This monochrome etching uses delicate lines and hatching, and the light falls evenly across the scene.
Context
Tassaert, a Flemish engraver and publisher, worked in Antwerp and later in London. He produced many reproductive prints after works by well-known masters, including religious subjects. At the time this print was made, the Catholic Church promoted the Holy Family as a model for families.
Impact
The scene feels calm and reverent. Its symmetrical arrangement and the gentle gestures of the figures help create that mood. The style of linework gives the sheet an elegant, richly detailed look, inviting the viewer to contemplate this intimate moment together.
Technique
This print is an etching. In this intaglio process, the drawing is incised into an acid-resistant ground on a copper plate and then bitten with acid. Impressions are pulled on paper, with the lines formed by inking and wiping the plate. The present example has been trimmed and measures 35.5 × 34.2 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)