Maria met Christuskind 1556

Jan van Stalburch created this engraving of Mary with the Christ Child in 1566. This image presents the intimate bond between mother and child, a theme common in religious art of the period. Made in the Netherlands during a time of religious and political upheaval, this work reflects the cultural anxieties and devotional practices of the era. The level of detail, achieved through the precise lines of the engraving, speaks to the technical skill and artistry valued in printmaking at this time. Note that Stalburch signed his name in a stone like shape that could suggest a memento mori. To understand this artwork better, one would have to delve into the history of religious printmaking in the 16th-century Netherlands, consulting inventories of print collections and religious texts, and studying the social history of the artists and patrons who produced and consumed these images. This helps us understand how art responds to and shapes its cultural context.