Holy Family on the Steps

1668

Not on view

Nicolas Poussin painted over thirty renditions of the Holy Family, making it his most frequent subject. Claudine Bouzonnet Stella translated Poussin’s noblest treatment of the theme in this print based on her uncle Jacques Stella’s painted copy. The enthroned figures sit slightly above eye level upon a staircase that symbolizes the connection between heaven and earth. Mary and the infant Jesus crown a pyramidal arrangement flanked on the left by Saint Elizabeth and John the Baptist; in their shadow at right, Saint Joseph intently inscribes a tablet with his compass, signifying God’s creation of the world. Mediated by her uncle’s copy, Bouzonnet Stella used astutely hatched transitions of light and dark to complement this highly geometric composition.

Yasemin Altun, June 2024

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

Catalogue Raisonné

Title: Holy Family on the Steps
Artist: Claudine Bouzonnet Stella (French, Lyons 1636–1697 Paris)
Artist: After Nicolas Poussin (French, Les Andelys 1594–1665 Rome)
Date: 1668
Medium: Engraving and etching
Dimensions: sheet: 14 5/8 x 19 1/2 in. (37.2 x 49.5 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Object Number: 53.600.1139
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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