The Holy Family.

Nicolas Pitau, or Pittou the Elder (1632–71) was a Flemish-born French engraver and printmaker. Born in Antwerp, Pitau began his training with his godfather Nicolaes Lauwer (1600–52) and his brother Conrad Lauwers (1622–1675) in around 1650. In 1656 Pitau moved to Paris with Conrad, where he began producing engravings after the paintings of Philippe de Champaigne, of which The Holy Family is a fine example. In 1666 he began to publish plates after the work of Gerard Edelinck. His son, Nicolas Pitau the Younger (1670-1724), who also became an eminent engraver, was born the year before Pitau's premature death. 

Pitau's reproduction engraving admirably retains the classical and somewhat austere qualities of the original Philippe de Champaigne painting on which it is based. The titles of 'Holy Family' and 'Madonna and Child with St Elizabeth and St John the Baptist' are equally appropriate.

See: Wikipedia, 'Nicolas Pitau', https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolas_Pitau

Dr Mark Stocker   Curator, Historical International Art   March 2019