Artwork
Sagrada Familia
Sagrada Familia is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Ludovico Mazzolino. It dates from 1525 and is held in the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1525 by the Italian painter Ludovico Mazzolino, this work portrays the Holy Family in a tranquil domestic setting. The composition is housed in the National Museum of Ancient Art, where it represents an example of early 16th‑century religious painting from the Ferrara‑Bologna region.
Subject & Meaning
The scene shows the Virgin Mary seated on a bench, clad in a red robe and blue skirt, gently holding the infant Christ.
The scene shows the Virgin Mary seated on a bench, clad in a red robe and blue skirt, gently holding the infant Christ. Joseph, dressed in matching red and blue garments, sits beside her, his hand resting on a staff. The naked Christ, crowned with a golden halo, reaches toward a lamb, a symbol of innocence and sacrifice, underscoring the theological link between the infant savior and his future passion.
Technique & Style
Executed in a mannerist idiom, the painting employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, producing a convincing sense of three‑dimensional form. Light falls on the faces and drapery, while deeper shadows define the folds of clothing and the bench, lending the work a subtle realism that balances decorative elegance with naturalistic detail.
History & Provenance
Mazzolino, active in Ferrara and Bologna, completed the piece during a prolific period of his career. It entered the collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art at an unspecified date, where it has remained a documented part of the museum’s holdings of Renaissance religious art.
Context
The painting reflects the broader Renaissance interest in intimate, humanized depictions of sacred narratives, moving away from strictly hierarchical compositions. Mazzolino’s treatment aligns with contemporary trends in the Ferrara school, where artists combined vivid coloration with careful attention to light effects, creating works that were both devotional and visually engaging.
Artist & collection
Artist
Ludovico Mazzolino (1480 – c. 1528) - also known as Mazzolini da Ferrara, Lodovico Ferraresa, and Il Ferrarese - was an Italian Renaissance painter active in Ferrara and Bologna.
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