Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist
unknown (Italian School)
Basic information
- ID
- Ж-1655
- Author
- unknown (Italian School)
- Name
- Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist
- Date of creation
- 18th c.
- Technique
- oil painting
- Material
- wood oil
- Dimensions (height x width, cm)
- 140 x 103
Additionally
- Type
- painting
- Genre
- religious
- Plot
- Madonna with Child, Saint Joseph, and John the Baptist Holy Family
- Provenance
- Collection of Lviv City Gallery
Information about author
Object description
The Virgin Mary is depicted with the Infant Jesus and Saint Joseph in the painting. Saint John the Baptist is shown in an adoring pose on one knee before the Saviour, presenting him with a cross – the symbol of his mission. The composition has been known since the 17th century. It is described in Giovanni Pietro Bellori's treatise on artists (1672) and has been reproduced in paintings and engravings. The composition is meticulously arranged. The Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus and Saint Joseph form a triangular scheme – the composition of the Holy Family. The Virgin Mary with the Infant Jesus and Saint John the Baptist create a second compositional scheme within a triangle. Saint John the Baptist and Saint Joseph gaze towards the centre of the main group, directing our eyes to Jesus. The artist also uses colour and light to focus our attention, giving the Virgin Mary and Jesus stronger, more vibrant colours and illuminating them more brightly than the other figures against the landscape background.
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery
