Who painted Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch?

Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch was painted by Unknown in 1730.

Where can I see Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch?

Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch is held by Lima Art Museum.

What movement is Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch?

Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch is associated with Rococo painting.

Artwork

Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch

Unknown , 1730

Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch is an oil painting by the Rococo painting artist Unknown. It dates from 1730 and is held in the collection of the Lima Art Museum.

About this work

Overview

The work entitled Holy Family with Saint John and a Goldfinch is an oil painting that brings together the Virgin Mary, the infant Christ, Joseph, and the youthful Saint John the Baptist, who is shown clutching a goldfinch. Executed in a single panel, the composition balances the figures within a modest interior space, inviting close visual engagement.

Subject & Meaning

The inclusion of the goldfinch, a bird traditionally linked to Christ’s Passion because of its association with thorns, adds a symbolic layer to the otherwise domestic scene. Saint John’s presence underscores his role as the forerunner of Christ, while the tender interaction among the family members conveys themes of devotion, innocence, and the anticipation of future sacrifice.

Technique & Style

The artist employs chiaroscuro to model the forms, creating pronounced contrasts between illuminated flesh and shadowed drapery that suggest depth. Impasto passages give the figures a tactile surface, while multiple layers of glaze lend a luminous quality to the skin tones and background, enhancing the sense of three‑dimensionality within the oil medium.

History & Provenance

The painting is currently part of the collection of the Lima Art Museum. Its acquisition details are not widely published, but the work has remained in the museum’s holdings, where it contributes to the institution’s representation of religious genre painting in the European tradition.