Christ Between His Parents Returning from the Temple
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 3 13/16 × 5 15/16 in. (9.7 × 15.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Harry G. Friedman, 1965
Accession Number
66.521.35
Tags
Art Historical Context
This intimate etching captures a tender moment from the biblical narrative in which the young Christ returns home from the Temple in Jerusalem with his parents, Mary and Joseph. Rembrandt van Rijn, the Dutch master of the Baroque period, frequently explored such scenes from everyday life infused with spiritual meaning. The small print, measuring just under four by six inches, includes the Holy Family accompanied by a loyal dog, emphasizing themes of guidance, devotion, and familial bonds. Rembrandt was celebrated for elevating etching into a sophisticated art form, using delicate lines and su...
About the Artist
Rembrandt (Rembrandt van Rijn)|baron Dominique Vivant Denon · 1606–1669
Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (1606–1669) stands as one of the greatest visual artists in the history of Western art and the most important Dutch painter of the 17th century. Born in Leiden to a prosperous miller's family, Rembrandt transformed painting through his revolutionary use of light and shadow, his psychological depth in portraiture, and his elevation of etching to a fine art. His approx...