Virgin and Child with St. John, St. Catherine of Siena and St. Francis
1585
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1585
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
You see a woodcut of Mary holding baby Jesus, with two saints on either side—Saint Francis on the right and Saint Catherine on the left, who’s holding a flower. This isn’t a painting but a *chiaroscuro* woodcut, meaning it’s printed from multiple blocks to create light and shadow, like a drawing. Andreani used four blocks just to get these soft brown tones. It’s rare to see this much detail in a print from the 1500s. If you like how light and shadow play here, look up *chiaroscuro*.
![The Holy Family with Saints [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/4d51f9f823625a43/thumb.webp)
