Artwork
The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Margaret
The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Margaret is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Filippino Lippi. It dates from 1490 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Margaret is a large circular painting by Filippino, created between 1488 and 1493. It features five intertwined figures within a challenging round format.
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts Mary holding Christ, who embraces John the Baptist, supported by Saint Margaret, while Joseph observes from behind a low wall adorned with sacred and domestic objects, blending the holy with everyday life.
Technique & Style
Filippino achieved a harmonious composition by twisting the figures together, utilizing sfumato to create a soft, glowing effect on their faces. The artist's use of color and blending techniques contributes to the overall visual harmony.
History & Provenance
The painting was commissioned by Neapolitan cardinal Oliviero Carafa. During his Roman years, Filippino drew inspiration from ancient art, reimagining Greco-Roman figures and incorporating elements of antique murals, sculpture, and architecture into his work.
Context
The work reflects Filippino's engagement with the fragments of ancient art and architecture in Rome, as seen in his adaptation of an antique Venus statue into Saint Margaret and the inclusion of weathered architectural motifs.
Artist & collection
Artist
Filippino Lippi (probably 1457 – 18 April 1504) was an Italian Renaissance painter mostly working in Florence, Italy during the later years of the Early Renaissance and first few years of the High Renaissance.
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