Artwork
Holy Family with St Catherine
Holy Family with St Catherine is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Paris Bordone. It dates from 1520 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum. Created in 1520, this oil painting presents a domestic tableau of the Holy Family accompanied by Saint Catherine.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1520, this oil painting presents a domestic tableau of the Holy Family accompanied by Saint Catherine. Executed by Paris Bordone, a Venetian painter who studied under Titian, the work now belongs to the collection of the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on the Virgin Mary, seated on the ground in a red mantle, gently holding the infant Christ. To her left a woman in white watches, while a man in dark green and orange embraces the child, suggesting Joseph. Saint Catherine, identified by her crown, stands behind Mary, adding a devotional layer that links the biblical scene with the martyr’s intercession.
Technique & Style
Bordone employs chiaroscuro to model the figures, creating a three‑dimensional presence against a softened landscape. Warm tonal harmonies and delicate facial expressions enhance the intimate atmosphere, while the handling of light reflects the influence of his master, Titian, blended with early Mannerist elongation of forms.
History & Provenance
After its completion in the early sixteenth century, the painting entered various private collections before being acquired by the State Hermitage Museum, where it has been displayed as part of the museum’s Venetian Renaissance holdings.
Context
The work belongs to the High Renaissance period in Venice, a time when artists emphasized balanced composition, rich coloration, and naturalistic detail. Bordone’s training with Titian is evident in the painterly texture and the luminous treatment of drapery, situating the piece within the broader Venetian artistic tradition.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Paris Bordone (Paris Paschalinus Bordone; 5 July 1500 – 19 January 1571) was an Italian painter of the Venetian Renaissance who, despite training with Titian, maintained a strand of Mannerist complexity and provincial vigor.
