The Holy Family with saints Elizabeth and John 1545 - 1555

Nicolò Boldrini created this print of the Holy Family with saints Elizabeth and John in Italy, around the mid-16th century. It depicts a familiar, tender, religious scene but it also reflects some of the social and institutional concerns of the time. In Renaissance Italy, the Church was a major patron of the arts. Religious imagery served to reinforce its doctrines and moral values. Prints like this one played a crucial role, enabling the wider dissemination of such imagery to a broader audience. The setting in this print is interesting too. We see the holy figures placed in an idealized landscape, reflecting a growing interest in nature, but also a certain nostalgia for the countryside amid growing urbanization. Looking closely, we can see the influence of earlier artists, particularly in the composition and the rendering of the figures. To understand Boldrini's artistic choices and the messages he was trying to convey, we need to consider the religious, social, and artistic conventions of his time, something we can do with a lot of art historical research.