Joseph, Mary and Jesus Returning to Nazareth
1578
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1578
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Joseph, Mary and Jesus Returning to Nazareth is a 1578 ink by Léonard Gaultier, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This scene shows three figures walking through a hilly, tree-lined landscape. The man in the middle carries a long staff, the woman beside him holds a bundle, and a small child follows. Behind them, a distant city sits on a hill, with buildings and a tower visible. The sky is lightly marked with clouds and birds, and the ground has simple bushes and rocks. The title text at the bottom hints this is a story about a family’s journey home. The artist used fine lines to build up shadows and details, giving the scene depth without color. Try looking up engraving to see how artists like Gaultier created texture with just lines.
Léonard Gaultier, or, as he sometimes signed himself, Galter, a French engraver, was born at Mainz about 1561, and died in Paris in 1641.
See the richer artist pageYour cart is empty
Explore artworks →
