Maria met Kind en engel 1625 - 1674

Jean Lenfant created this print, Maria met Kind en engel, sometime between 1630 and 1674, using engraving and etching. It depicts Mary with the Christ Child and an angel. Prints like this one were produced and consumed in great numbers across Europe at this time. France, where Lenfant worked, was a hotbed of printmaking innovation. The relatively low cost of prints, compared to paintings, meant that images could circulate more widely in society. Institutions like the church used prints to spread particular messages and influence beliefs. The composition here is very conventional for religious art of the period, with its gentle, idealized figures. The imagery reinforces conservative social values, presenting a sentimental vision of motherhood and a powerful, but benevolent, religious authority. As historians, we can look at prints like these to understand the social and cultural values of the time. Researching the printmaker, the publisher, and the institutions that commissioned the work can reveal much about the politics of imagery.