Artwork
The Holy Kinship
The Holy Kinship is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Lucas Cranach the Elder. It dates from 1512 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Holy Kinship is a 1512 woodcut by Lucas Cranach the Elder, a German Renaissance artist who served as court painter to the Electors of Saxony.
Subject & Meaning
The print depicts a crowded scene of holy figures gathered around a woman holding a baby, likely illustrating a traditional Christian theme of family ties.
Technique & Style
The woodcut features simple figures with soft lines, rendered in black and white. The image was created by carving a design into wood and then printing it, a technique characteristic of the medium.
Context
Cranach's work reflects his evolving artistic and religious perspectives, as he later aligned with the Protestant Reformation while continuing to produce religious imagery.
Artist & collection
Artist
Lucas Cranach the Elder was a German Renaissance painter and printmaker in woodcut and engraving.
The Holy Family and Kindred
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
Massacre of the Innocents
The Holy Family with Saint Anne and Saint Joachim
The Nativity
The Nativity
The Rest on the Flight into Egypt
The Circumcision
Marriage of St. Catherine
The Visitation
The Virgin and Child Adored by Frederic the Wise of Saxony
The Holy Family with Two Music-Making Angels