Heilige Familie
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
169; 225
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 240
Art Historical Context
Agostino Carracci’s 1597 engraving *Heilige Familie* captures the tender intimacy of the Holy Family—Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child—in a compact composition measuring just 225 by 169 millimeters. As one of the leading figures of the Bolognese School, Carracci helped steer Italian art away from late Mannerism toward greater naturalism and emotional warmth. Working alongside his brother Annibale and cousin Ludovico, he co-founded Bologna’s Accademia degli Incamminati, where life drawing and classical ideals were taught side by side. Engraving was central to Carracci’s practice; the medium a...
About the Artist
Agostino Carracci · 1557–1602
Agostino left his profession as a tailor to become an artist. His earliest works were engravings, which was an extremely profitable practice and he was famed for having attained new heights of perfection. He was also a skilled painter and collaborated with his famous relations on various commisions. Comment on works: Religious; Portraits.