Heilige Familie met Johannes c. 1585 - 1620

This is Francesco Amato’s etching of the Holy Family with Saint John. At the center, the Madonna tenderly watches the Christ child who holds a cross. To the right, John the Baptist affectionately kisses Jesus's foot, in a gesture symbolizing humility and reverence. This motif, the infant John kissing Jesus's foot, echoes across time. We see it echoed in devotional images from the Byzantine era and later, in Renaissance paintings where it speaks to the deep, subconscious longing for divine connection. It’s a visual articulation of spiritual devotion, a common thread weaving through centuries of religious expression. Consider how this same act of reverence appears in ancient rituals of submission before kings, a powerful force engaging viewers on a deep, subconscious level. And so, this symbol returns, transformed and yet familiar, in Amato's etching. Its cyclical journey highlights the way cultural memory shapes our understanding of the sacred.