The 'Virgin with the long thigh' sitting with the Christ Child, St John the Baptist and St Joseph

Art Historical Context

In the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, *The 'Virgin with the Thigh' Sitting with the Christ Child, John the Baptist, and Joseph* (ca. 1518–19) showcases a masterful collaboration between Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio the High Renaissance genius, and engraver Marcantonio Raim. This engraving reproduces Raphael's graceful design of the Holy Family: the Virgin Mary seated prominently with her elongated thigh—a stylistic flourish earning the work its evocative nickname—flanked by the Christ Child the young St John the Baptist, and St Joseph. At 15 13/16 x 10 1/2 inches, its intimate scale belies its monumental impact. Raimondi's precise engraving technique translates Raphael's fluid lines and harmonious proportions into a reproducible print, revolutionizing art dissemination during the Renaissance. Prints like this made elite compositions accessible to collectors across Europe, bridging sacred iconography with emerging mass media. Raphael's influence shines in the tender, idealized figures, embodying the era's shift toward humanism and naturalism. Bequeathed by Grace M. Pugh in 1985, this piece highlights engraving's cultural role in devotional art, inviting viewers to ponder the divine in everyday reverence. A testament to artistic synergy, it remains a jewel of Renaissance printmaking.

About the Artist

Marcantonio Raimondi|Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi) · 1475–1534

Marcantonio Raimondi (c. 1480–1534), born near Bologna, Italy, emerged as one of the Renaissance's premier engravers, revolutionizing printmaking through his mastery of reproductive techniques. He trained in the workshop of the goldsmith, painter, and niellist Francesco Francia, whose influence is evident in his early engravings, such as the goldsmith-like shading in *Pyramus and Thisbe* (1505), h...