Holy Family with Angels and the Cross, Crushing a Serpent

Executed as an etching, La Hyre employed fine lines on laid paper to achieve delicate modeling and atmospheric depth.

Executed as an etching, La Hyre employed fine lines on laid paper to achieve delicate modeling and atmospheric depth. The print reflects the restrained classicism of the Parisian Atticism movement, favoring clear outlines and balanced composition over the exuberant chiaroscuro typical of the broader Baroque. The careful rendering of drapery and anatomy demonstrates the artist’s mastery of the medium.

Laurent de La Hyre, born in Paris in 1606, was a leading figure in the early French neoclassical current. This 1639 print belongs to his early period, when he was consolidating a style that combined Baroque drama with classical order. The piece has remained in private collections before entering a museum holding of 17th‑century French prints in the early 20th century.

The image aligns with Counter‑Reformation visual strategies that emphasized clear, didactic religious messages. By integrating familiar symbols—the cross, the serpent, the angelic hosts—La Hyre contributed to a visual language that reinforced Catholic doctrine. The print exemplifies the transitional phase between Baroque vitality and the emerging French classicism that would dominate the mid‑17th century.