Virgin nursing the infant Christ on her lap 1515 - 1520

Marco Dente created this engraving of the Virgin Mary and infant Christ in Italy in the early 16th century. Images of the Madonna and child were ubiquitous in Renaissance Italy, reflecting the central role of the Catholic Church in daily life. But they also speak to the importance of motherhood in a period when family lineage and legacy were paramount. Here, we see the Virgin nursing the infant Jesus. This intimate moment is remarkable, particularly given the church's complex relationship to the human body. The image also reflects the rise of printmaking as an industry, and the way that new technologies allowed artists to disseminate imagery more widely than ever before. To understand the role of this image in its own time, scholars might consult religious texts, social histories, and economic data related to the printmaking industry. The meaning of art is always contingent on the social and institutional conditions that shape its production and reception.