The Home of Nazareth

After the birth of Jesus, the Holy Family escaped to Egypt, due to the threat that Herod meant to the Messiah. This image shows the Family at their home in Nazareth, the city where they settled after their escape.

Multiple engravings were made on the theme of the home of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. Through them, the idea of the Christian family, in which each one has specific functions, spread. This particular image is based on a print from the series of the childhood of Jesus, by the engraver Hieronymus Wierix.

The Child Jesus is also inside the house. In the scene it is seen that, according to the functions assigned to children, he is in charge of helping with the housework, thus he sweeps the home with the help of an angel.

At the feet of the Virgin there is a feline. Due to its tricolor coat, black, white and brown, it is most likely a female cat, of the variety known as calico. In this image, the animal represents the domestic ambient.

In a second space, this time outside, Saint Joseph can be seen. Exercising his craft as a carpenter, he cuts the logs for the stove of the Virgin Mary. In this case, the spectators are presented with a model of father of a family who provides sustenance and who, unlike women, gets out of the domestic space to carry out his work.