The Holy Family with the infant Saint John kissing Christ's feet 1640 - 1660

Curator: What a wonderfully detailed piece! Here we have an engraving titled "The Holy Family with the infant Saint John kissing Christ's feet," created sometime between 1640 and 1660 by an anonymous artist. It's currently held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Editor: My initial impression is one of tenderness, yet also, a subtle premonition of sorrow. The way the light catches the figures feels almost ethereal. Curator: The engraver has skillfully used line and hatching to build up the tonal range in this print. It is quite interesting how the baroque characteristics have been expressed through the medium of engraving, since its circulation aided in its widespread accessibility during the 17th century. Prints democratized art in ways previously unimaginable! Editor: Absolutely. And look at the potent symbolism: the infant Saint John's gesture foreshadows Christ's future sacrifice. That crown of thorns discarded on the ground—a direct reference to the Passion, as well as that distant city upon the hill... Are we to consider it a type of heavenly Jerusalem? Curator: Yes! The artist here uses symbols to compress narrative and meaning in very efficient ways, speaking to religious and cultural concepts. Note that Saint John is the bridge to the suffering yet to come, while this is very clearly depicted as a tender moment between mother and child. Editor: Also notice that even though Saint John humbly kneels before Christ, a halo shines radiant over the Savior's head. In this print the hierarchy of divinity and humanity creates such complexity and richness. Curator: Seeing the original source would perhaps give clues as to the labour processes that the artist has encountered while creating this engraving. Without it we can only guess the socio-economic conditions in which the artist operated. However, the scale of the circulation must be accounted as well, thus we need to remember that these artists provided accessible art in a period when high art was afforded to the richer people. Editor: You're right, there's a compelling interplay of material and symbolic elements here. Curator: Indeed, this small piece speaks volumes about both artistic practice and deeply embedded beliefs. Editor: I'll carry that image of foreshadowed sorrow with me for a while.