The Nativity with Angels 1650 - 1657

Curator: Here we have "The Nativity with Angels," an etching and drawing by Bartolomeo Biscaino, dating from about 1650 to 1657. It's part of the collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: It feels almost… ghostly. That fine network of lines creating light and shadow gives everything an ethereal quality, like a half-remembered dream. Curator: Etching is such a process-oriented technique. Consider the labour, applying the resist, scratching the design, immersing the plate in acid, and then, inking and printing. Biscaino utilizes etching to create complex tonal gradations which evoke depth and a very specific atmospheric mood. The circulation of such prints also allowed for the dissemination of artistic ideas more broadly during the Baroque period. Editor: Absolutely. You can almost feel the scratching of the needle, the bite of the acid. And look at the contrast between the solid forms of Mary and the baby Jesus, compared with the swirling cloud of angels above. It really underscores that sense of the divine entering the mundane world. But the real labor I see here is caring, familial love. Curator: The social function of such religious imagery is interesting as well. Biscaino made numerous prints and drawings, and one can consider this work within the context of Counter-Reformation art. It offered a highly emotional and personal approach to religious subjects that were aimed at a wide audience. Editor: But those chubby-cheeked angels… almost too sentimental for my modern tastes, but undeniably skilled! What gets me, beyond any religious aspect, is the intimacy. The quiet watchfulness of Joseph, the complete trust in the embrace of mother and child… it speaks to something primal and beautiful about humanity, despite the layers of religious symbolism layered on top. Curator: A moving observation. And one could add that this kind of popularization through printmaking created new economic dynamics around image consumption and cultural identity at the time. Editor: Exactly, Biscaino, almost like a proto-influencer, spreading visual messages across the land. Makes you think, doesn’t it? I find new appreciation for both process and emotional effect here.