Heilige Familie met heiligen 1739 - 1780

This is Francesco Bartolozzi’s engraving, “Holy Family with Saints.” Note the Christ Child. Poised above the supplicants, he is the axis mundi—the center of the world, the mediator between the earthly and divine. We see this motif echoed across epochs, from ancient pagan rituals to the Renaissance. Consider the gesture of offering, the saints presenting their devotion to the divine child. This echoes the Magi offering gifts, a powerful symbol of recognition and reverence. The act of presenting, of bridging the gap between humanity and the sacred, taps into primal instincts. It's a deeply rooted psychological need to connect with something greater. The image evokes a sense of timelessness, a feeling that transcends the boundaries of the artwork. The cyclical nature of these symbols, their ability to resurface and evolve, reflects the enduring power of the human psyche.