St Joseph and the Christ Child (detail) by Guido Reni (1634-1640)
As one of the most celebrated artists of the early seventeenth century, Guido Reni painted a number of versions of this work, St Joseph and the Christ Child. Until this period Joseph, Christ’s adopted father hadseldom featured in paintings or sculptures. As society changed, the role of Joseph gradually gained prominence in people’s spirituality. Reni reveals an intimate moment between father and child. Dressed in his traditional colours of orange and gold, Joseph gazes into his son’s face with great tenderness. He gently cradles the child in his arm, enacting a pose more often associated with the child’s mother, Mary. The child responds with delight and trust. Only the presence of the apple, symbol of Adam’s fall, reminds us that not even Joseph’s protection will spare the son from the full measure of human suffering.
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