Artwork
The Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist
The Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist is an ink print by the Baroque artist Unknown. It dates from 1610 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is an engraving executed on laid paper, depicting a compact group of figures set within a rugged, wooded landscape.
About this work
Overview
The work is an engraving executed on laid paper, depicting a compact group of figures set within a rugged, wooded landscape. A seated woman cradles an infant, while a standing child leans toward them; behind them an older man and a sheep rest on the ground. The composition balances activity with tranquility, using a dense network of lines to suggest texture in clothing, rock, and foliage.
Subject & Meaning
The scene presents the Holy Family accompanied by Saint Elizabeth and the infant John the Baptist, a common devotional motif that emphasizes familial bonds and prophetic anticipation. The inclusion of the sheep alludes to Christ’s role as the Lamb of God, while the proximity of John the Baptist hints at his future role as the forerunner of Jesus.
Technique & Style
The artist employs fine parallel strokes and cross‑hatching to model form and convey chiaroscuro, creating a sense of volume despite the monochrome medium. Variations in line density generate shadows on the figures and landscape, while the intricate hatching of fabric folds and rock surfaces demonstrates a high level of technical control typical of early modern printmaking.
History & Provenance
The engraving is catalogued as a print rather than a unique painting, suggesting it was intended for broader distribution. No specific date or artist is recorded in the supplied data, and the paper’s laid texture points to a production method common in the 16th–18th centuries. Its provenance remains unclear, indicating it may have circulated among private devotional collections.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Holy Family
The Rest on the Return from Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Holy Family with the Infant John the Baptist
Untitled
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Holy Family with Saint Elizabeth and Saint John the Baptist