The Virgin and Child at a table with the young John the Baptist, after Reni
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (Trimmed): 8 9/16 × 6 3/16 in. (21.7 × 15.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951
Accession Number
51.501.5064
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate etching, titled *The Virgin and Child at a Table with the Young John the Baptist, after Reni*, captures a tender moment from 17th-century religious iconography. Created around 1600–40 by an anonymous artist with possible attribution to Anthony Bonenfant, it reproduces a composition by the renowned Bolognese Baroque master Guido Reni. The scene depicts the Virgin Mary and infant Christ seated at a table, joined by the young Saint John the Baptist—a popular motif symbolizing divine innocence, prophecy, and the Holy Family's sacred bond. Measuring just 8 9/16 × 6 3/16 inches, its intimate scale invites close contemplation, much like a personal devotional object. Guido Reni (1575–1642), a leading figure in the Carracci-influenced Bolognese school, blended classical grace with emotional depth, making his Madonnas both ethereal and approachable. Etching, the medium here, allowed for precise line work and tonal subtlety through acid-bitten copper plates, enabling affordable dissemination of elite paintings to a wider audience during the Counter-Reformation era. Such reproductive prints were vital for spreading Catholic imagery, fostering piety among the faithful. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department as part of The Elisha Whittelsey Collection (acquired 1951), this work exemplifies how printmaking democratized art, bridging high Renaissance ideals with Baroque fervor. Visitors will appreciate its refined lines and serene harmony, evoking the spiritual warmth of Italy's golden age.
About the Artist
Guido Reni|Anonymous, 17th century|Anthony Bonenfant · 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...