Faith and paternal love tenderly play out in a trio of Joseph and the Christ Child paintings that Guido Reni created between 1620 and 1640. In each endearing work, Joseph lovingly cradles his son. It’s a universal scene of fatherhood designed to tug at our heartstrings, as empathy pulls us into the painting. Yet these three paintings transcend the earthly father-son bond.
Reni rendered subtle symbols and figurative gestures to inspire awe and to elevate us and each painting to a higher realm. In Reni’s day, people understood the deeper meaning of these compositions, but today we need a little explanation.
