Zittende Madonna en Johannes de Doper 1636 - 1637

This is an undated engraving called "Zittende Madonna en Johannes de Doper" by an anonymous artist. The composition, rendered in precise lines, presents the Madonna seated with the infant Jesus, accompanied by John the Baptist, and a man, perhaps Joseph, behind her. The engraving's formal structure immediately suggests an attempt to destabilize conventional religious iconography. The figures are rendered with a stark realism, devoid of idealization, challenging the fixed meanings associated with holiness and divinity. The Virgin's gaze, for example, is directed downward. Through the language of lines and composition, the artist uses visual codes to suggest a more complex, perhaps questioning, view of religious subjects. This challenges the viewer to interpret the artwork not just as a representation, but as a site of evolving cultural and philosophical discourse.