The Holy Family under the Cherry Tree

The Holy Family is shown in an intimate, rustic setting where Mary holds the Christ Child while Joseph peers from behind the textured trunk of a massive cherry tree. The infant Jesus holds a pair of cherries in his hand, echoing the bowl of fruit in the foreground and the clusters hanging from the branches above. The engraving is characterized by the swelling and tapering lines typical of Hendrick Goltzius, creating deep shadows and complex textures in the drapery and bark.

Hendrick Goltzius was the preeminent figure of the Haarlem Mannerists, whose technical virtuosity influenced the development of European printmaking. In Christian iconography, the cherry was often called the 'Fruit of Paradise,' symbolizing the sweetness of the soul and the redemptive joy of the incarnation.