The Holy Family

Some scholars have dated this drawing to between the mid and late 1590s based on the style. However, in an article on Reni's pen and ink drawings Ann Sutherland Harris proposed that its 'looser, less focussed manner' is more reminiscent of Reni's late 'shaggy' chalk studies. She suggested that rather than being an early prepatory study for an etching, it could well be a late, signed gift for a student or friend, or even done for a quick sale to raise money to pay off the gambling debts which plagued Reni late in his life.