The Virgin with the Christ Child and the young Saint John the Baptist holding a bird at right, an oval composition, after Reni

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching, created between 1630 and 1680, captures a tender moment from Christian tradition: the Virgin Mary gently cradling the Christ Child, joined by the young Saint John the Baptist, who holds a small bird at the right. Presented in an elegant oval format, the composition was designed by the celebrated Bolognese master Guido Reni and reproduced here by Lorenzo Loli, one of his followers. The intimate grouping reflects the Baroque period’s emphasis on emotional warmth and devotional accessibility. Etching allowed artists like Loli to translate Reni’s graceful figures and soft lighting into prints that could reach a wider audience beyond the original painting. Measuring just under eight inches tall, this trimmed sheet exemplifies how such works served as affordable devotional images in 17th-century homes and collections. Today it resides in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1926. The inclusion of the bird adds a gentle symbolic note often associated with innocence and the soul in religious imagery of the era. Loli’s fine lines preserve Reni’s characteristic elegance while inviting viewers to appreciate the quiet humanity of these sacred figures.

About the Artist

Lorenzo Loli|Guido Reni (Italian|Italian) · 1575 |1607 –1642 |1691

Italian, Bologna 1575–1642 Bologna|Italian, Bologna ca. 1612–1691 Bologna