Artwork
Holy Family with an Angel
Holy Family with an Angel is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Albrecht Altdorfer. It dates from 1515 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Altdorfer's rendering combines naturalistic detail with symbolic gestures, underscoring the sacred narrative within a contemporary domestic setting.
The painting shows the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus, and Saint Joseph gathered around a celestial angel, a composition that emphasizes the Holy Family's domestic intimacy and divine protection. The angel, presented as a heavenly intercessor, reinforces the theological theme of the family as a sanctuary of salvation. Altdorfer's rendering combines naturalistic detail with symbolic gestures, underscoring the sacred narrative within a contemporary domestic setting.
Technique & Style
Albrecht Altdorfer executed Holy Family with an Angel in 1515 using oil paint applied to a panel support. The work measures 22.5 cm in height and 20.5 cm in width, presenting a compact religious composition. As a product of the German Renaissance, the painting depicts the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and the Christ Child, accompanied by an angel.
The medium of oil on panel allows for the detailed rendering characteristic of Altdorfer's style during this period.
History & Provenance
The painting Holy Family with an Angel was created by Albrecht Altdorfer around 1515 as an oil on panel work depicting Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph. It entered the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, where it remains on view. The work is documented in the museum's records from 1515 onward, reflecting its continuous ownership by the institution since its creation.
The painting Holy Family with an Angel by Albrecht Altdorfer is housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, where it is recorded under the inventory number 2011.0.123. It was first exhibited in the museum's 19th-century gallery and later featured in the 2005 exhibition "Early Netherlandish Masters: New Perspectives".
Context
Albrecht Altdorfer's Holy Family with an Angel painted in 1515 represents an early Northern Renaissance interpretation of a domestic sacred subject. The work demonstrates the artist's engagement with Italian Renaissance compositional principles while maintaining distinct German artistic traditions. As part of his broader oeuvre focusing on religious narratives, this painting exemplifies the period's devotional art practices within the context of the German school of painting.
Overview
Albrecht Altdorfer’s oil painting Holy Family with an Angel, executed in 1515, presents a compact group of four figures within a modest interior setting. The central female figure, crowned with a halo of stars, cradles an infant while a bearded man in a red robe stands to her left and a youthful attendant with an angelic visage leans on the right. A dark‑green branch laden with fruit arches above the group, completing the composition.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
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