Who painted The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome?

The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome was painted by Bonifazio Veronese in 1530.

Where can I see The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome?

The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome is held by Philadelphia Museum of Art.

What movement is The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome?

The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome is associated with Mannerism.

Artwork

The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome

Bonifazio Veronese , 1530

The Holy Family and Infant St. John and St. Jerome is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Bonifazio Veronese. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1530, this oil painting by Bonifazio de’ Pitati—known as Bonifazio Veronese—depicts a quiet gathering of the Holy Family with the infant Christ, the Virgin Mary, the youthful Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Jerome. Executed in a Mannerist idiom, the work now resides in the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Subject & Meaning

The composition centers on Mary cradling the Christ Child, flanked by the small Saint John and the scholarly Saint Jerome, whose presence underscores themes of devotion and theological learning. The figures are rendered in serene poses, conveying a tranquil devotional atmosphere.

Technique & Style

Bonifazio employs pronounced chiaroscuro, juxtaposing illuminated flesh against deeper shadows to model the bodies and suggest three‑dimensional space. The garments—Mary’s blue robe and white veil, the companions’ red and purple robes—are painted with fine brushwork that reflects the refined elegance typical of Venetian Mannerism.

History & Provenance

Born in 1487, the Venetian painter was a prominent figure in the city’s Renaissance art scene. After changing hands over the centuries, the canvas entered the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s holdings, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s Italian Renaissance collection.

Context

Bonifazio’s compositional choices and use of color influenced later Venetian artists, notably Andrea Schiavone and Jacopo Tintoretto, who adopted similar approaches to figure arrangement and light. The work thus occupies a transitional position between early Renaissance clarity and the more expressive gestures of later Venetian painting.