Maria zoogt het Christuskind 1609 - 1686

Dirk Eversen Lons made this engraving, "Maria zoogt het Christuskind," sometime in the 17th century. It depicts Mary nursing the Christ Child during their flight from Herod, offering a glimpse into the religious and social context of the Dutch Golden Age. This image creates meaning through familiar visual codes. Mary, seated beneath a sheltering tree, embodies maternal care, while the ruined architecture in the background hints at the instability of earthly power. Made in the Netherlands, during a period of intense religious and political upheaval, the work subtly comments on the social structures of its time, with an implied critique of tyranny. The flight from Herod would have resonated with the protestant population of the Netherlands, who had only recently won independence from the oppressive, Catholic, Spanish Empire. The institutional history of the Rijksmuseum, as a repository of national cultural heritage, further shapes our understanding of the print's significance. Understanding such an artwork deeply requires research into the religious beliefs, political conflicts, and artistic conventions of the 17th-century Netherlands. Only then can we fully appreciate the social and institutional forces that shaped its creation and reception.