The 'Virgin with the long thigh' sitting with the Christ Child, St John the Baptist and St Joseph 1513 - 1524

Marcantonio Raimondi created this engraving, "The 'Virgin with the long thigh' sitting with the Christ Child, St John the Baptist and St Joseph," using black ink to generate an intricate tableau of religious figures within a decaying architectural setting. The composition is immediately striking for its complex interplay of light and shadow. The ruinous architecture in the background creates a stark contrast to the smooth, idealized forms of the figures in the foreground. Raimondi's use of line is particularly noteworthy, defining forms through dense cross-hatching that lends a sense of depth and volume. The Virgin’s elongated thigh, a focal point, disrupts the classical harmony typically associated with Renaissance art. The crumbling architecture in the background destabilizes any fixed sense of time. This engraving invites us to consider the shifting relationships between classical ideals, religious narrative, and the material realities of a changing world.