Who painted The Holy Family?

The Holy Family was painted by Johannes Jakob Frey in 1850.

Where can I see The Holy Family?

The Holy Family is held by Victoria and Albert Museum.

Artwork

The Holy Family

The Holy Family is a print by Johannes Jakob Frey. It dates from 1850 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.

About this work

Overview

Johannes Jakob Frey’s 1850 print, titled “The Holy Family,” translates Raphael’s composition La Vierge au Berceau into a monochrome work on paper. The image centers on a seated female figure, presumed to be the Virgin Mary, flanked by an infant and a young boy. The setting is framed by crumbling architecture and a distant landscape, giving the scene a sense of spatial depth.

Subject & Meaning

The print captures an intimate domestic moment: Mary cradles a cloth while a baby lies beside her, and a child kneels nearby with clasped hands, gazing upward. The arrangement emphasizes familial affection and devotional tenderness, inviting contemplation of the relational bonds within the biblical Holy Family.

Technique & Style

Frey employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, using contrasts of light and shadow to suggest volume and texture. The linear rendering of the ruinous backdrop and the subtle gradations of tone create a layered composition that guides the eye toward the central group, while maintaining a cohesive tonal harmony typical of mid‑nineteenth‑century printmaking.

History & Provenance

Created in 1850, the print is a direct reinterpretation of Raphael’s earlier painting, reflecting the 19th‑century practice of reproducing masterworks for broader circulation. It was produced in Frey’s workshop, known for high‑quality engravings, and later entered museum collections as an example of the period’s engagement with Renaissance iconography.