Maria met Christuskind 1616 - 1657

This is Paulus Pontius’s “Maria met Christuskind,” a small engraving made sometime in the first half of the 17th century. Pontius, born in Antwerp, worked in the shadow of Peter Paul Rubens, reproducing many of the master's paintings as prints. Here, Mary is shown in tender profile, gazing down at the infant Christ. Both figures are haloed, yet Mary is weighted down with heavy fabric and a serious expression. The vulnerability of the Christ-child, so often depicted as an all-knowing, divine figure, is striking. Pontius’s Mary does not represent the untouchable ideal of womanhood, but a maternal bond of palpable human emotion. The Latin inscription, translating to "My beloved is mine, and I am his," suggests a reciprocal relationship. Rather than reinforcing the traditional hierarchy, the print imagines a mutual, loving connection between mother and child. It invites us to consider the humanity inherent in religious narratives.