Joseph and the Christ Child c. 1500

This tiny roundel of "Joseph and the Christ Child" was made anonymously, and its miniature scale suggests it might have been made for private devotion. Though modest, it required considerable skill to produce. Think about it: the artist would have needed to grind and mix pigments to create a range of colors. These were then carefully applied to paper with a fine brush, building up layers of color and detail. The linework is confident, defining the figures with economy. The act of making itself would have been a kind of devotional practice, a way of honoring the sacred subject through dedicated labor. The round form is also interesting; perhaps it was intended to be worn as a badge, or carried as a talisman. In any case, this small artwork reminds us that even the most humble objects can be rich with meaning, connecting artistic skill, religious belief, and the everyday lives of people who made and used them.