The Holy Family (1783)
Original title: The Holy Family
kurzbeschreibung
Mary, Elizabeth and the Christ child come together in this 1783 etching by Baron Dominique Vivant Denon for a close, quiet encounter. Denon worked the plate as an etching, and the sheet measures 9.4 × 7.1 cm.
Description
Three figures fill the small format: on the left a woman sits with the child on her lap, while a second woman stands facing her and touches the child. The boy turns his head toward the standing figure, and the gazes of those present produce an asymmetrical layout. Behind the figures a column rises toward the left, and the space stays dark. Light falls from above onto faces and hands, setting them apart from the ground. Fine hatching and lines shape the monochrome image.
Context
Denon, a French artist and diplomat, is best known today as the first director of the Louvre. In 1783, the year of this etching, he was deeply engaged with printmaking. The Holy Family was a staple of Christian art and was taken up again frequently in the eighteenth century. The sheet may have been made either as an independent work or as an illustration for a collection.
Impact
Calm and contemplation emanate from the intimate group of figures and the careful linework. Light and shadow lend the encounter a solemn tone. Because the sheet stays so small, the viewer steps close and looks more attentively.
Technique
For this etching the drawing was scratched into a copper plate and then bitten with acid. The fine lines and hatching produce a graduated tonal effect. It was printed on paper, and the sheet has been trimmed.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)