Artwork
Holy Family with Young Saint John
Holy Family with Young Saint John is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Paolo Veronese. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
About this work
Overview
Created circa 1550, this oil painting by Paolo Veronese presents a devotional scene commonly known as the Holy Family with a youthful Saint John. Executed in the Venetian Mannerist idiom, the work combines a restrained palette with a dramatic play of light and shadow. It is part of the permanent collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on a woman, identified as the Virgin Mary, cradling an infant Christ against her chest. To her right, a small child, representing the young Saint John the Baptist, reaches outward, while another child kneels nearby, gazing upward. The arrangement emphasizes the intimate bond among the three figures and underscores themes of familial devotion and prophetic anticipation.
Technique & Style
Veronese employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, allowing the pale flesh tones of the children to emerge from a darker, muted background. The Virgin’s face is rendered with delicate gradations of shadow, imparting a gentle expression. A dark cloak drapes over her shoulders, contrasting with the luminous skin and creating depth characteristic of Mannerist experimentation in Venice.
History & Provenance
Paolo Veronese, a leading Venetian painter of the sixteenth century, worked alongside contemporaries such as Titian and Tintoretto. This particular canvas entered the Rijksmuseum’s holdings through acquisition in the early twentieth century, where it has remained on display, contributing to the museum’s representation of Italian Renaissance art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paolo Caliari (1528 – 19 April 1588), known as Paolo Veronese ( VERR-ə-NAY-zay, -zee, US also -see; Italian: ), was an Italian Renaissance painter based in Venice, known for extremely large history paintings of…
