Maria met Christuskind en Johannes de Doper 1647

Wenceslaus Hollar created this etching, "Maria met Christuskind en Johannes de Doper," capturing an intimate moment of maternal nurturing. Central is the Madonna Lactans, the nursing Madonna, an archetypal image of the mother-child bond. This motif of the Madonna suckling her child extends back through centuries, from ancient Egyptian depictions of Isis feeding Horus to countless Byzantine icons. Each iteration carries the weight of cultural memory, resonating with the viewer’s own primal understanding of nourishment and protection. Even in the Renaissance, artists like Leonardo da Vinci subtly alluded to this primordial connection. Here, Hollar is presenting us with more than just a simple image. He evokes a sense of timelessness. Note how the figures seem lost in their own world, their faces etched with an ethereal glow as if suspended in a dream. It is through this deeply emotional experience that Hollar taps into our collective psyche. The symbol of the Madonna Lactans transcends mere religious iconography; it speaks to the enduring power of maternal love.