The Holy Family, after Jacob Jordaens

Art Historical Context

This etching, created in 1871 by Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart after an original painting by the Flemish Baroque master Jacob Jordaens, captures the warmth and intimacy of the Holy Family. Jordaens, a leading Antwerp artist of the seventeenth century and a close follower of Peter Paul Rubens, often infused religious subjects with lively domestic details and rich human emotion. Here, the print preserves that spirit, allowing nineteenth-century viewers to appreciate the original composition through a carefully rendered reproduction. The work exemplifies the reproductive printmaking tradition of the period, when etchings on chine collé became prized for their ability to convey subtle tonal effects and fine detail. By mounting delicate Chinese paper onto a sturdier backing, the technique highlights the tender interactions among the figures while maintaining the dramatic lighting typical of Baroque art. Published by the renowned London firm P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. and printed by François Liénard, the sheet reflects the era’s growing interest in making masterpieces accessible beyond museum walls. Acquired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art through the Rogers Fund in 1912, this print stands as both an artistic tribute and a historical document of how earlier masters were reinterpreted for new audiences. Its modest plate size belies the depth of expression it carries from Jordaens’s original vision.

About the Artist

Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart|Jacob Jordaens|François Liénard|P. & D. Colnaghi & Co. · 1837–1880

**Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart: Master Etcher and Watercolorist** Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart was born on September 7, 1837, in Paris to Albert Jacquemart, a prominent art collector, ceramics historian, and amateur artist, and Louise Émilie Labbé. The third of four children, he received his initial training in etching from his father, who had no formal master himself and emphasized self-taught preci...