Birth of the Virgin 1740

Giovanni Cattini created this delicate etching, “Birth of the Virgin,” sometime in the 18th century. Here, the divine birth is attended by earthly and celestial beings—the Virgin’s mother, Saint Anne, other women, an elderly man, and a host of hovering angels. Note the column behind the figures, a common motif in Renaissance art, symbolizing strength and serving as a visual link to classical antiquity. But here, the column is incomplete, a fragment. This echoes the fragmented understanding we have of ancient cultures. This motif, like the figures themselves, reappears throughout art history, shifting in meaning. Consider the persistent appearance of angels, messengers of the divine, in art across cultures. From antiquity to the Renaissance and beyond, these winged figures convey a psychological need for connection with the celestial. This image, like others of its kind, speaks to our collective subconscious, a potent reminder of the past made ever-present.