Heilige Familie met de jonge Johannes de Doper 1535 - 1601

Giovanni Battista Cavalieri created this engraving of the Holy Family with the Young John the Baptist sometime in the late 16th century. The print depicts Mary with the infant Jesus asleep on her lap, while Saint Anne and John the Baptist look on. Produced in Italy during the Counter-Reformation, this image reflects the period’s intensified focus on religious orthodoxy and the importance of the family. Consider the setting; the figures are placed on a pedestal, like a sculpture in a public square, with the image resembling a stage set. Here, the Holy Family embodies an ideal of domestic piety which the Catholic Church promoted as a means of social control. Yet, at the same time, the intimate depiction of Mary and Jesus humanizes them, making them relatable figures. To fully understand this work, one might consult theological treatises, social histories of the family, and records from the printmaking workshops of the time. Ultimately, the meaning of this print lies in its complex negotiation of religious, social, and artistic currents.