Maria zoogt het Christuskind

This engraving depicts the Virgin Mary in a tender moment breastfeeding the Christ child. The central figures are enclosed by a detailed garland of blooming roses, which represents the 'Rosa Mystica' or Mystical Rose. Fine lines radiate from Mary’s head to form a subtle halo, highlighting her divine status within the lush, floral border.

The 'Virgo Lactans' (Nursing Virgin) was often adopted in alchemical literature as an allegory for 'Lac Virginis' (Virgin's Milk), symbolizing the nourishing of the philosophical child or the white stage of the Great Work. As a work by a member of the Sadeler family, who were prominent at the court of Rudolf II in Prague, it sits at the intersection of traditional Marian devotion and the flourishing Hermetic culture of the era.