Artwork
Heilige Familie
Heilige Familie is an unspecified painting by the Early Renaissance artist Andrea del Brescianino. It dates from 1505 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Holy Family, Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph, as its central subject, aligning with standard iconography for this theme in Italian Renaissance religious art. Mary is shown in a maternal role, seated with the Christ Child at her side, while Joseph appears in the background holding a flowering staff, a traditional attribute signifying his role in the Nativity narrative. The composition emphasizes domestic intimacy and piety, reinforcing the theological significance of the Holy Family as a model of Christian family life and spiritual devotion.
The iconography follows established conventions of the period, with Mary’s gesture and gaze directing attention to the Christ Child, who is presented as the focal point of divine presence and future redemption. The inclusion of Joseph’s flowering staff subtly underscores the miraculous nature of his selection as Mary’s husband, a motif derived from apocryphal texts such as the Protoevangelium of James.
Technique & Style
The composition emphasizes intimate interaction among the figures, reflecting the devotional emphasis of the period.
The work is an oil painting on wood panel, measuring 71 cm in height and 55 cm in width. Executed in 1505, it depicts the Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Christ, rendered with the naturalistic modeling and devotional clarity characteristic of early sixteenth-century Italian religious art. The composition emphasizes intimate interaction among the figures, reflecting the devotional emphasis of the period. The painting is housed in the Alte Pinakothek, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
History & Provenance
Heilige Familie was created in 1505 by Andrea del Brescianino as a religious painting depicting the Holy Family. The work entered the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is housed at the Alte Pinakothek, where it remains part of the institution's holdings. The painting, measuring 71 cm in height by 55 cm in width, has been documented as a religious work from the early sixteenth century.
No additional provenance details regarding prior ownership, commission history, or intermediate transfers are recorded in the available sources beyond its current institutional placement.
The painting Heilige Familie by Andrea del Brescianino is held within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is specifically located at the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. The artwork, created in 1505, depicts the Holy Family and measures 71 cm in height and 55 cm in width.
No specific inventory or accession number is provided in the available records, nor is there documented exhibition history for this work in the current sources.
Context
The painting was created by Andrea del Brescianino in 1505 and depicts the Holy Family, Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph, rendered in oil on panel measuring 71 by 55 centimeters. It belongs to the religious genre and is housed in the Alte Pinakothek, part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. The work has been recognized as a significant example of early 16th-century devotional painting, reflecting the devotional practices and stylistic conventions of the period.
Its composition and iconography have been studied within the context of Renaissance religious art, particularly in relation to contemporary depictions of familial holiness.
Overview
Created in 1505 by the Sienese painter Andrea del Brescianino, this oil work presents an intimate domestic scene centered on a mother, child, and a bearded man. The composition is set against a deep, shadowy backdrop that heightens the luminous rendering of the figures’ faces, emphasizing their emotional connection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Andrea del Brescianino or Dei Piccinelli was an Italian painter of the Renaissance period, active mainly in Siena. Together with his brother Raffaello they were known as the Brescianini of Siena.
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