The Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under Construction

The Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under Construction

Johann Sadeler I

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

In the left foreground, the Virgin Mary tenderly cares for the Christ Child and the young John the Baptist. This tranquil scene is connected with a view of contemporary Munich in the right background by a scene of Joseph working as a carpenter. Angels carry the planks and beams he makes to the Church of Saint Michael, which is under construction. Sustris seems to have played a significant role in the design of this major building project, initiated by William V, Duke of Bavaria. He also contributed to its decoration, along with other artists such as Peter Candid, whose work is on view nearby.

Drawings and Prints

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under ConstructionThe Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under ConstructionThe Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under ConstructionThe Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under ConstructionThe Holy Family with the Church of Saint Michael in Munich under Construction

The Department’s vast collection of works on paper comprises approximately 21,000 drawings, 1.2 million prints, and 12,000 illustrated books created in Europe and the Americas from about 1400 to the present day. Since its foundation in 1916, the Department has been committed to collecting a wide range of works on paper, which includes both pieces that are incredibly rare and lauded for their aesthetic appeal, as well as material that is more popular, functional, and ephemeral. The broad scope of the department’s collecting encourages questions of connoisseurship as well as those pertaining to function and context, and demonstrates the vital role that prints, drawings, and illustrated books have played throughout history.