The Virgin reading with the infant Christ; woman seated in profile facing left and reading with an arm around a child who looks out toward the viewer 1515 - 1600

This print, made by an anonymous artist, depicts the Virgin Mary reading with the infant Christ. It is a small engraving on laid paper. Prints like this played a crucial role in spreading religious imagery across Europe. We can think about this image in terms of the rising literacy rates of the time, and the increasing availability of books. The image suggests the importance of reading and religious instruction, reflecting humanist values within Christianity at the time. The presentation of Mary as a nurturing mother, absorbed in reading, may be rooted in the changing social role of women during the Renaissance. The image makes use of recognizable visual codes, such as the halos above the Virgin and Christ, indicating their holiness. Understanding this print means researching both the history of printmaking and the changing social roles in the period it was made. The meaning of art changes in different social and institutional contexts.