“Stop and observe the tender intimacy of the Holy Family in this print. The soft light and gentle gestures create a moment of quiet domesticity, inviting you to share in their peaceful scene.”
In this intimate depiction of the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus are nestled together, bathed in a soft, ethereal light. The scene feels tender and quiet, a moment of domestic peace. Joseph, often shown as an older, more distant figure, here leans in, his gaze gentle as he supports the Virgin Mary. Her head, with a delicate halo, is tilted towards the viewer, yet her attention remains focused on the child. The infant Jesus, plump and alert, reaches out, engaging both his parents and us. This etching, possibly with aquatint, uses subtle tonal variations to create depth and atmosphere, a characteristic of printmaking from this period. Stefano Mulinari, born in 1741, would have been quite young, around nine years old, if this print was indeed made in 1750, suggesting the date might be an approximation or that it was produced later in his career.
- Artist
- Stefano Mulinari
- Date
- 1750
- Medium
- Etching and aquatint (?)
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- sheet: 7 15/16 x 6 5/8 in. (20.2 x 16.9 cm)
- Collection
- Drawings and Prints
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1962
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The delicate halo above Mary's head, almost blending into the light.
The way Joseph’s hand gently supports Mary’s back, a gesture of tenderness.
The infant Jesus’s chubby hand reaching out towards the viewer.
The subtle shading in the background, suggesting a soft, enveloping space.
Stefano Mulinari
1741–1790Italian engraver who transformed devotional scenes into intimate etchings with aquatint and colored washes.
Further Works by Mulinari
Madonna and Child with Saints Peter and Paul
1750 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Saint Jerome in Penitence
1750 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Winged Figure
1750 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Christ standing before an entrance to a city surrounded by apostles addressing a group of men at right
1756 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Descent of the Holy Ghost
1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Flagellation of Christ
1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Saint John the Baptist with a lamb
1766 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Mulinari: works from the same years.
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Portrait of Madame Anne-Jeanne Cassanéa de Mondonville, née Boucon (1708-1780)
Maurice Quentin de Latour · 1752 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Richard Walker (1679–1764), Vice-Master and Horticulturist
John Theodore Heins · 1751 · Trinity College
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Design for a Lampas Silk with a Triumphal Chariot on a Cloud
Philippe de la Salle · 1765 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Flying Figure Holding a Crown, Reclining River God
Jacques-Louis David · 1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Side Chair
Artist Unknown - The Mercat Cross, Aberdeen · 1750 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Medal cabinet
William Vile · 1760 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Hunter with Hounds
Höchster Porzellan-Manufaktur · 1755 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Image of an Empire in Peace and Prosperity
Zhou Kun · 1745 · National Palace Museum
Same era · 1730s–1760s
Landscape
William Wooller · 1763 · Cleveland Museum of Art
Same era · 1730s–1760s
View of Ponte Lugano on the Anio, from Views of Rome
Giovanni Battista Piranesi · 1763 · Art Institute of Chicago
