Who painted The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim?

The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim was painted by Hans Burgkmair the Elder in 1512.

Where can I see The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim?

The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim?

The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim is associated with Renaissance.

Artwork

The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim

Hans Burgkmair the Elder , 1512

The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hans Burgkmair the Elder. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Hans Burgkmair I’s woodcut, dated 1512, presents a devotional scene titled The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim. Executed on laid paper, the print depicts the Virgin Mary, Joseph, the infant Christ, and Mary’s parents gathered in a compact group, their garments rendered with gentle folds that suggest intimacy and reverence.

Subject & Meaning

The composition brings together the central figures of Christian salvation—Mary, Joseph, and the newborn Jesus—with the grandparents, Saint Anne and Saint Joachim, emphasizing the sanctified lineage of Christ. Their close arrangement underscores familial bonds and the theological notion of a holy household rooted in generations of faith.

Technique & Style

Burgkmair employed the traditional woodcut process, carving the design into a single wood block and leaving the negative spaces uncut to remain white on the final image. Ink was rolled onto the raised surfaces and transferred to laid paper, allowing for multiple, consistent impressions. The line work is characterized by fine, flowing contours that convey the softness of the drapery.

History & Provenance

Created in the early sixteenth century, the print reflects the flourishing of devotional imagery in Northern Europe. As a reproducible medium, the woodcut could be disseminated widely, serving both private devotion and public instruction. Surviving copies are held in several European collections, attesting to its circulation among patrons of religious art.

Context

The work belongs to a period when printmaking expanded the reach of religious narratives beyond painted altarpieces. Burgkmair, a leading figure in the German Renaissance, integrated emerging humanist sensibilities with traditional iconography, offering viewers a more personal, approachable vision of the Holy Family.