Artwork
The Holy Family with the Infant John the Baptist
The Holy Family with the Infant John the Baptist is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hendrick Goltzius. It dates from 1593 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:lower left, in image, in plate: HG / 1593; lower left, numbered in image, in plate: 6; below image, in plate: Praecursor Domini lactantis ab ubere matris / Blanditur puero puer, et colludit amice, / Quem praecognovit aliens utero abditus, hunc et / Indice monstravit digito crescentibus annis. (The herald of the Lord, who is suckled at his mother's breast, like a child, strokes the child and plays sweetly with him; the baby whom he recognized, leaping up, while he was still in his mother's womb, he also pointed to with his finger when they were a little older.) [Latin translation from Leeflang, Huigen, and Ger Luijten. _Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617): Drawings, Prints and Paintings._ Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum, 2003, p. 211.]
About this work
Overview
Hendrick Goltzius produced an engraving titled The Holy Family with the Infant John the Baptist in 1593. Executed on a metal plate, the print presents the Virgin Mary, the infant Christ, Joseph, and the young John the Baptist together in a single composition, reflecting the devotional themes common to late‑sixteenth‑century Northern art.
Subject & Meaning
The image gathers the central figures of Christian salvation history: the Virgin and Child, the earthly guardian Joseph, and the future forerunner John the Baptist as a child. Their intimate grouping underscores themes of familial bond and prophetic continuity, inviting contemplation of the infant saints’ shared destiny.
Technique & Style
Goltzius employed the intaglio engraving method, incising fine lines into a copper plate to achieve delicate tonal variation. The work displays his characteristic precision and vigorous line work, hallmarks of Northern Mannerist aesthetics, with a dynamic arrangement that guides the viewer’s eye across the figures.
History & Provenance
Created during Goltzius’s early career, the print exemplifies his reputation as the foremost Dutch engraver of the period. While primarily known for printmaking, Goltzius later turned to painting, but this 1593 engraving remains a key example of his mature graphic practice.
Context
The engraving emerged at a time when the Dutch Republic was embracing both Protestant reform and a flourishing market for devotional images. Goltzius’s work catered to collectors seeking finely rendered religious subjects, aligning with the broader Northern Mannerist trend toward elaborate, expressive compositions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Hendrick Goltzius (German: , Dutch: ; né Goltz; January or February 1558 – 1 January 1617) was a German-born Dutch printmaker, draftsman, and painter.
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