Artwork
Heilige Familie
Heilige Familie is an unspecified painting by the Flemish Baroque painting artist David Teniers the Younger. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Overview
Created around 1650, this oil painting by David Teniers the Younger portrays a domestic scene of the Holy Family. The work is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and exemplifies the artist’s mid‑seventeenth‑century approach to religious subjects.
Subject & Meaning
The central figures are the Virgin Mary, shown with a dark mantle and a halo, cradling the infant Jesus. Beside them kneels a second woman, likely Saint Anne, gently touching the child's foot, while an elderly male figure, identified as Joseph, leans on a staff and gazes upward, suggesting reverence and contemplation.
Technique & Style
Teniers employs a subdued palette and soft chiaroscuro to render the interior’s dim lighting, creating a sense of intimacy. The figures are modeled with delicate brushwork, and the inclusion of a partially open book on a shelf adds a scholarly, devotional element to the composition.
History & Provenance
The painting entered the Alte Pinakothek’s holdings in the 19th century, where it has remained on public display. Its attribution to Teniers the Younger has been consistently affirmed by museum catalogues and scholarly research.
Context
During the mid‑1600s, Flemish artists like Teniers often blended genre scenes with sacred narratives, situating biblical characters in familiar, domestic settings. This approach made religious themes more accessible to contemporary viewers.
Artist & collection
Artist
David Teniers the Younger or David Teniers II was a Flemish Baroque painter, printmaker, and artist.
