18th-century Central European school

18th-century Central European school.
“Apparition of the Virgin and Child to Saint Anthony of Padua.”
Engraving.
Shows some water stains. Shows signs of wear, cracks, and breaks.
Measurements: 30 x 19 cm; 55 x 42 cm (frame).

A devotional print with a distinct Baroque sensibility, in which Saint Anthony of Padua, kneeling before the Virgin, cradles the Infant Jesus in his arms. A halo of glory, filled with cherub heads amid clouds, frames the apparition, while the book and the staff of lilies—attributes of the saint—occupy the lower left corner. The diagonal arrangement of the figures, the ample folds of the garments, and the tenderness of the gestures lend the composition dynamism and an intimate religious sense.