The Child Jesus
1643
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1643
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Child Jesus is a 1643 ink by Claude Mellan, a Baroque work, depicting child saint john, held at National Gallery of Art.
Claude Mellan’s engraving shows a calm boy with long hair holding a wooden staff. His face glows softly against a dark background. Mellan earned fame for prints made with a single line. This 1643 version copies the style but keeps the child gentle. The paper shows faint grid marks from the printing press. See how he carved the curls with tiny parallel lines. For more prints like this, look up Mellan, Claude.
