Artwork
Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth
Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth is an ink print by the Baroque artist Henri Mauperché. It dates from 1644 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Henri Mauperché’s 1644 etching titled *Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth* portrays the biblical moment when the pregnant Virgin Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth.
Henri Mauperché’s 1644 etching titled *Meeting of Mary and Elizabeth* portrays the biblical moment when the pregnant Virgin Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth. The composition places the two women before an elaborate architectural backdrop, their robes and gestures emphasizing the intimacy of the encounter. The scene is set within a landscape that includes distant hills and a cloud‑filled sky, grounding the narrative in a realistic environment.
Subject & Meaning
The work captures the moment described in the Gospel of Luke, when Mary, bearing the infant Jesus, greets Elizabeth, who carries John the Baptist. By showing Mary’s hand gently touching Elizabeth’s child, Mauperché underscores the theological significance of the meeting as a recognition of the forthcoming roles of both infants in Christian salvation history.
Technique & Style
Executed as an etching, the image relies on fine lines and cross‑hatching to convey texture, light, and depth. Mauperché’s handling of tonal variation creates a sense of three‑dimensional space, while the detailed rendering of the architectural elements and foliage reflects his background in landscape engraving and his interest in capriccio settings.
History & Provenance
Henri Mauperché, a French painter and engraver active in mid‑17th‑century Paris, is known for imaginative landscape compositions. The etching was produced in 1644, during a period when religious subjects were popular in French printmaking. Records of the print’s ownership are limited, but it is documented in several early catalogues of French prints, confirming its circulation among collectors of the era.
Artist & collection
Artist
Henri Mauperché (c.1602, Paris – 26 December 1686, Paris) was a French landscape painter and engraver. His name is also given as Henri Maupercher and Henri Montpercher. Most of his landscapes are capriccios.
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