La Sainte Famille (The Holy Family) 1839 - 1885

"La Sainte Famille (The Holy Family)" is an etching by the French artist Rodolphe Bresdin, created between 1839 and 1885. This small etching, part of a series of "Holy Family" works, showcases Bresdin's signature dense, textured style, where the figures of Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus are obscured by a heavy, almost impenetrable, background of trees and foliage. The composition, though seemingly simple, is evocative of the protective nature of the Holy Family, and the distant cityscape hints at the world beyond their sacred space. Currently housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, "La Sainte Famille" is a testament to Bresdin’s unique ability to convey the spiritual within the earthly.