Heilige Familie, das Kind liegt im Bett, oben ein zweiter Entwurf 

This is a red chalk drawing by Guido Reni, currently held in the Städel Museum, titled ‘Holy Family, the Child Lies in Bed, with a Second Sketch Above.’ Reni was a leading Italian painter of the Baroque period, a time in Europe marked by significant religious and political conflict. This study gives us insight into the artist's process in depicting a tender, intimate scene of the Holy Family, a subject rooted in religious doctrine, yet made human through its depiction. Note the two sketches; the upper showing Mary and Joseph seated together holding the child, and the lower showing the child lying in bed watched over by his parents. The depiction of motherhood and familial love is softened by Reni’s delicate and sensitive treatment. The study has an emotional resonance that transcends its religious subject, inviting us to reflect on universal themes of family and care.