Heilige familie, Anna en Maria, Christus aan het kruis en Jozef met Kind 1722 - 1765

Martin Speer created this work, "Holy Family, Anna and Maria, Christ on the Cross and Joseph with Child," sometime before his death in 1765. Executed with ink on paper, the composition is divided into four distinct scenes that draw the eye across its surface. The use of tight, controlled lines gives form to each religious vignette, yet the overall arrangement resists a singular narrative focus. Speer’s choices in composition invite us to consider how meaning is constructed through juxtaposition and contrast. Take, for example, the varying shapes—rectangles alongside an oval—which create a visual rhythm that is both ordered and unpredictable. This reflects a broader Baroque interest in complexity and the blending of different elements to create a dynamic viewing experience. Speer's print functions not merely as a religious artifact, but as an exploration of form and structure, reflecting how artists of the period engaged with the interplay between established themes and innovative visual arrangements. The piece invites us to actively participate in making meaning.