Artwork
The House in Nazareth
The House in Nazareth is an unspecified painting by the Rococo painting artist Francesc Pla i Duran. It dates from 1790 and is held in the collection of the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya.
About this work
Overview
Francesc Pla i Duran’s 1790 oil painting, The House in Nazareth, is part of the collection of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. The work presents an intimate domestic interior, bathed in soft light, where a family scene unfolds with a calm, contemplative atmosphere.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre of the composition a male figure, traditionally identified as Joseph, is engaged in work at a table surrounded by everyday tools. A woman, likely Mary, watches from the background, while a group of angels hovers above, suggesting a subtle divine oversight of ordinary life.
Technique & Style
Pla employs a restrained chiaroscuro that models forms through the interplay of light and shadow, giving the interior a three‑dimensional quality. The palette is muted, with gentle hues that enhance the sense of warmth, while fine brushwork renders textures of wood, fabric, and metal with realistic detail.
History & Provenance
The painting was completed in 1790 and has remained in Catalonia, eventually entering the holdings of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya. Its provenance reflects the artist’s regional reputation and the museum’s focus on preserving late‑Baroque and early‑Neoclassical works from the area.
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Artist & collection
The Birth of the Virgin
Adoration of the Shepherds
The Mystic Marriage of Saint Catherine
Mystische Verlobung der Hl. Katharina
Burial of St Petronilla
Adoration of the Shepherds
The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple
The Birth of the Virgin
Scenes from the Life of Saint Arianus
Presentation Sketch for "The Holy Family with Saints Anne, Joachim, and John the Baptist" (for Santa Maria in Via Lata, Roma)
Adoration of the Shepherds