Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and the Infant St. John the Baptist - Giovanni Antonio da Brescia

A fine Renaissance engraving by Giovanni Antonio da Brescia, depicting the Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and the infant St. John the Baptist.

This engraving by Giovanni Antonio da Brescia depicts a traditional devotional scene featuring the Holy Family alongside St. Elizabeth and the infant St. John the Baptist. The composition is arranged with the Virgin Mary seated at the centre, holding the Christ Child. St. Joseph stands to the right, leaning on a staff, while St. Elizabeth stands to the left, guiding the young St. John as he offers a small plant to the Christ Child.

Giovanni Antonio da Brescia was an active engraver in Northern Italy during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. His work often reflects the influence of Andrea Mantegna, particularly in the treatment of drapery and the use of parallel hatching to define form and shadow. The figures are rendered with a sense of sculptural weight, typical of the period, and the background is kept minimal to focus attention on the interaction between the figures.

The print demonstrates the technical precision required for early copperplate engraving. The lines are clean and deliberate, creating a clear distinction between the figures and the surrounding space. The expressions of the figures are restrained, adhering to the conventions of religious art of the time. This work provides an example of how Renaissance artists disseminated religious imagery through the medium of print, allowing such compositions to reach a wider audience beyond the confines of private chapels or churches. The focus remains on the narrative connection between the children, a common motif in depictions of the Holy Family, which serves to prefigure the future roles of Christ and the Baptist. The print is a study in balance and classical proportion, reflecting the artistic priorities of the Italian Renaissance.