Holy Family With St Anne and Two Angels 16th-17th century

Curator: Aegidius Sadeler II created this engraving titled *Holy Family With St Anne and Two Angels*. It's currently held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It feels so intimate, yet theatrical, like a stage tableau with the heavy drapery. The figures are arranged in such a mannered way. Curator: Mannerism certainly shaped Sadeler’s style. These idealized figures, arranged just so, reflected the cultural elite's desire for refinement. Notice how the composition directs your gaze. Editor: Exactly, and the fruit—grapes, apples— alongside the lilies surely connect the Virgin and infant Jesus to themes of abundance and purity, innocence, even redemption. Curator: It's a complex visual theology. Prints like this also circulated widely, shaping popular piety beyond the court. Editor: It's fascinating to consider how those symbols resonated then, and what echoes they still hold. Curator: Indeed. This work offers a glimpse into the interplay between art, power, and popular belief.