Maria met Christuskind en engelen 1661 - 1684

Gaspar Huybrechts created this print of Mary with the Christ Child and angels sometime in the 17th century. Huybrechts was working in Antwerp at a time when the Catholic Church was trying to reassert itself after the rise of Protestantism, and one way they did this was through art. This image presents an idealized version of motherhood, with Mary as a loving and gentle figure surrounded by heavenly beings, reinforcing traditional religious values. Huybrechts likely trained at the local Guild of Saint Luke and his art would have been subject to the rules and expectations of that institution, as well as the expectations of his patrons. To understand this print more fully, we can look into the history of religious art in 17th-century Antwerp, the role of the Guild of Saint Luke, and the specific ways in which the Catholic Church used art to promote its message. By considering these things, we can gain a deeper understanding of the social and institutional context in which this image was made.