Titelprent voor reeks scènes uit het Lijdensverhaal en scènes uit het leven van Maria

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso linksonder, gestempeld: Lugt 1659

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching by Abraham Bosse serves as the title print for a 17th-century series depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ and the life of the Virgin Mary. Created between roughly 1635 and 1661, the small work measures just 88 by 77 millimeters, suggesting it was designed as an intimate book illustration or devotional print meant for personal contemplation rather than large-scale display. Bosse, a French artist renowned for his precise etching technique, brought a refined clarity to religious subjects during a period when printed images played a vital role in spreading devotional narratives across Europe. The medium of etching allowed Bosse to achieve fine lines and subtle textures, making complex theological stories accessible to a wider audience through affordable prints. This particular sheet likely introduced the thematic sequence that followed, guiding viewers through key moments of suffering, redemption, and Marian devotion that held deep cultural resonance in the Baroque era. A collector’s mark (Lugt 1659) on the reverse further hints at its journey through private collections, underscoring how such modest prints were treasured by connoisseurs for both their spiritual content and artistic merit.

About the Artist

Abraham Bosse · 1602–1676

Abraham Bosse (1604–1676) was a French printmaker and theorist whose approximately 1,600 etchings provide an unparalleled visual record of 17th-century French life. Born to Huguenot parents in Tours, he trained in Paris under Melchior Tavernier and became a devoted follower of Jacques Callot's technical innovations. Bosse's meticulous etchings depicted subjects ranging from daily life and fashion ...