Tabernakel met Heilige Familie en kind St John c. 1666 - 1693

This engraving of a Tabernacle with the Holy Family and child Saint John was created by Jean Lepautre, a French designer and engraver who lived between 1618 and 1682. The image reflects the intertwining of religious and social norms during the Baroque era. Visually, the opulence and grandeur of the tabernacle mirror the Catholic Church’s power and its influence on society. Representations of the Holy Family, such as this, were used to reinforce the period’s gender roles and family structures, with Mary embodying the ideal of motherhood. The child Saint John’s presence suggests themes of innocence and divine purpose. Lepautre presents traditional representations of religious figures but within a frame of architectural fantasy, reflecting the period’s cultural and spiritual values. Through its elaborate design and symbolic content, this engraving serves as a window into the complex interplay between religion, identity, and social expectations of the 17th century.