Child Jesus Explaining the Scriptures to His Mother and St. Joseph
ca. 1627
Medium
Etching with engraving; second or third state of three
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed to plate): 5 13/16 in. × 5 in. (14.7 × 12.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.689.3
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This etching with engraving; second or third state of three by Stefano della Bella from ca. 1627 represents the artistic and cultural achievements of its period. Printmaking during this era served multiple functions, providing affordable art for collectors, documenting contemporary life, and demonstrating technical virtuosity. The medium allowed wide distribution, making visual culture accessible beyond elite patronage. This example showcases period craftsmanship and aesthetic sensibilities, off...
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella'sChild Jesus Explaining the Scriptures His Mother and St.* (ca. 1627) captures a poignant biblical moment from the Holy Family's life, where the young Jesus knowingly toward the scriptures, flanked by the attentive Virgin Mary and St.. This etching with engraving, in the second or third state three, exemplifies the artist's early mastery at age 15 or 16, blending tender domesticity with divine revelation in a compact 5 13/16 × 5 in. sheetAs a print from the Drawings and Prints department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, 1967), it highlights 17th-century printmaking's revolutionary role. Etching and engraving enabled affordable reproductions, broad distribution beyond elite patrons, and showcases of technical virtuosity—fine lines evoking texture and depth. Multiple states reflect iterative refinements, a hallmark of the medium's craftsmanship. This work offers a window into Baroque-era religious devotion, preserving cultural values of faith and while making visual artistry accessible. Its survival invites us to connect with historical sensibilities, celebrating the enduring power of to democratize sacred imagery.
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella · 1610–1664
Stefano della Bella (1610-1664) was one of the most prolific and versatile printmakers of the Italian Baroque period, leaving behind 1,052 prints and several thousand drawings that captured the vivid essence of 17th-century European life. Born in Florence on May 18, 1610, to a family of artists, he trained initially as a goldsmith before studying painting under Cesare Dandini and etching under Rem...