Women flourished as printmakers in Italy during the 16th and 17th centuries, whether by reproducing the work of their male contemporaries, as in Diana Mantuana’s prints on view nearby, or by creating their own designs. Bolognese painter and printmaker Elisabetta Sirani executed ten prints of her own invention during her lifetime, all religious subjects. In this lush landscape, Sirani captured a tender moment between the Virgin Mary and her son Jesus, who extends his arms toward his mother as Mary’s husband, Joseph, looks on. Sirani’s prints display a fluid and confident handling of the etching needle, which she used to draw her designs directly onto the printing plate.