De Heilige Familie

Mary is shown in profile holding the Christ Child, who reaches upward toward a sprig of cherries held by Joseph. The engraving demonstrates the artist's technical precision, using varying line weights and dense cross-hatching to model the figures' forms and soft features. Joseph's weathered face in the background contrasts with the smooth, idealized skin of the Virgin and Child.

Hendrick Goltzius was the leading figure of the Haarlem Mannerists, a circle that bridged the gap between religious tradition and the intellectual 'maniera' of the late Renaissance. His technical virtuosity in engraving was highly prized in the Rudolfine court, where the mastery of nature through art was seen as a parallel to natural philosophy and alchemy.