Maria met het Christuskind 1585

Andrea Andreani created this chiaroscuro woodcut, *Maria met het Christuskind*, sometime around 1595 in Florence. Here, the Virgin Mary is presented with the Christ Child, accompanied by Saint Elizabeth, Saint John the Baptist, and possibly Saint Joseph. The iconography of the Virgin and Child is rich with historical weight, symbolizing maternal love, divine incarnation, and the promise of salvation. Note how John the Baptist touches young Jesus, who returns the gesture, gently grabbing at John's cloak. This harks back to ancient Roman gestures of connection and continuity, a lineage that has wound its way through countless artworks, each time imbued with new layers of meaning. The emotional exchange captured in the image—the tenderness of Mary, the interaction between the children—touches something primal within us. It evokes the collective memory of familial bonds and spiritual yearning. Thus, the image is not just a depiction, but a complex node in the ongoing migration of symbols across time.