The Holy Family with Saint Anne and the infant Saint John the Baptist 1916

Charles Schlecht created this print of "The Holy Family with Saint Anne and the infant Saint John the Baptist" at an unknown date, using etching and engraving. Prints like these were widely reproduced in Europe and the United States and distributed to a growing middle class. This image depicts a domestic scene of the Holy Family. Yet rather than taking the Bible as its sole point of reference, it borrows its visual codes from secular portraiture. The figures are depicted in a soft, sentimental style, reflecting the values of the Victorian era. Made in the late nineteenth century, the work reflects a changing social landscape where religion became more individualized. To understand the choices made by Schlecht, we might investigate popular religious movements, the market for religious imagery, and the history of reproductive printmaking. Understanding the history of this image gives insight into the religious and social values of its time.