Maria het Christuskind voedend op een wolk 1735 - 1800

Giovanni Cattini made this small engraving of Maria het Christuskind voedend op een wolk in the mid to late 1700’s. This intimate depiction of the Virgin Mary nursing the infant Christ speaks to the cultural significance of motherhood within the Catholic tradition of that period. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, such as the serene expression on Mary's face, the soft rendering of the clouds, and the radiant light emanating from the Christ child. These elements evoke a sense of divine grace and maternal tenderness. The engraving reflects the social conditions of 18th-century Europe, particularly the role of the church in shaping cultural values and artistic production. As historians, we can analyze such artworks using period documents and religious texts to better understand the relationship between art, faith, and society. We can consider what the availability of such images may have meant to new mothers at the time. The meaning of art is contingent on its social and institutional context.