The Virgin seated with the infant Christ on her lap, the young Saint John the Baptist kneeling on Christ's cradle and kissing his foot, a lamb at left, after Reni

Art Historical Context

This engraving captures a tender moment from Christian iconography, showing the Virgin Mary seated with the infant Christ on her lap. The young Saint John the Baptist kneels beside Christ’s cradle, gently kissing his foot, while a lamb rests nearby—a symbol of John’s future role as the “Lamb of God.” Created after a design by the celebrated Italian Baroque painter Guido Reni, the print reflects the graceful figures, soft lighting, and emotional intimacy that defined Reni’s influential style in the early seventeenth century. Produced between 1625 and 1689 by an anonymous engraver, possibly Charles Errard le fils, this work demonstrates how reproductive prints helped spread Reni’s compositions across Europe. Engravings like this one allowed viewers far from Italy to experience devotional images that were originally painted for churches or private chapels. The medium’s fine lines and tonal range translate Reni’s painterly effects into a format that was both affordable and widely collectible. Housed today in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, the sheet measures roughly 15¾ by 10⅞ inches. Acquired through the Elisha Whittelsey Fund in 1951, it offers modern audiences a window into the devotional culture and artistic networks of Baroque Europe.

About the Artist

Guido Reni|Anonymous, 17th century|Charles Errard le fils · 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...