Christ Child and the Young Saint John
1666 - 1667. Etching on paper.Not on display
This etching of Jesus and Saint John the Child in the Museo del Prado was catalogued as anonymous, but its comparison with a drawing by Alonso Cano also in the Museo del Prado (D63) suggests that it may be an engraving by Cano. Stylistically, the print is very close to those of Guido Reni and other Bolognese engravers whose models undoubtedly influenced Cano´s work. However, there is no record of a similar print in the repertoires, which, together with the exact size of the two works and the fact that the drawing shows unmistakable traces of having been worked over with a metal point, suggests that the drawing was the starting point for the engraving of a plate. In addition, the use of etching, given its expressive possibilities and its ease of learning and execution, compared to engraving, it is logical to think that an artist of Cano´s interest would have the desire to engrave his own plates.
Museo Nacional del Prado, Alonso Cano. Dibujos, Madrid, Museo Nacional del Prado, 2001, p.pp. 90-91
