The Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under Construction

Art Historical Context

In 1589, Friedrich Sustris, Dutch-born painter and architect active at the Bavarian court, collaborated with the Flemish engraver Johann Sad I to create *The Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in under Construction*. This intricate engraving captures the Virgin Mary, infant Jesus, angels, and holy figures in a serene foreground, while the backdrop dramatically features the massive Jesuit Church of St. Michael—still under construction—in Munich. Commissioned during Duke Wilhelm V's reign, the church symbolized the Catholic Counter-Reformation's resurgence in Protestant-threatened Bavaria. The artwork masterfully blends sacred iconography with contemporary architecture, suggesting divine endorsement for the ambitious project that began in 1583. Sustris's design expertise shines in the detailed rendering of the church's facade, scaffolding, and workers, evoking the era's grandeur and piety. Sadeler's engraving technique—using fine lines and cross-hatching for depth and texture—allowed for widespread dissemination of this image, making it a powerful tool for religious propaganda and artistic prestige. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this print highlights the Renaissance fusion of Northern European precision with Italianate monumentality, offering visitors a window into 16th-century Munich's cultural and spiritual fervor.