Girl carrying a crucifix and stepping toward a pilaster, seen from behind

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching, titled *Girl Carrying a Crucifix and Stepping Toward Pilaster, Seen from*, is attributed to Guido Reni origianino (Girol Francesco Maria Mazzola) dates to circa 159–1600. Printed on a trimmed sheet measuring 6 5/16 × 3 1/8 inches (16 × 7.9 cm), it to the Metropolitan Museum of's Drawings and Prints collection, thanks to the Harris Brisbane Dick acquisition in 1927. Etching—a revolutionary intaglio technique where acid etches lines into a metal plate—enabled precise, tonal effects ideal for intimate religious scenes. Here, a young girl strides purposefully from behind, crucifix in hand, toward a pilaster (a flattened column), symbolizing quiet devotion amid Counter-Reformation piety. Tags like "Girls" and "Cross" highlight its focus on youthful faith. Guido Reni, a Bolognese Baroque master (1575–1642), often echoed Parmigianino's graceful Mannerist lines, blending elegance with spiritual intensity. This small-scale print captures that fusion, offering a window into late Renaissance Italy's artistic ingenuity and cultural reverence for sacred imagery.

About the Artist

Guido Reni|Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola) · 1575–1642

Guido Reni (1575–1642) was one of the most celebrated Italian painters of the Baroque era and the dominant figure of the Bolognese School. Born into a family of musicians in Bologna, he trained first with Denys Calvaert before joining the influential Accademia degli Incamminati led by Ludovico Carracci. Reni achieved international fame through his idealizing style that combined Baroque dynamism wi...