Who painted Holy Family?

Holy Family was painted by Arent de Gelder in 1650-01-01.

Where can I see Holy Family?

Holy Family is held by Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

What movement is Holy Family?

Holy Family is associated with Dutch Golden Age.

Artwork

Holy Family

Arent de Gelder , 1650

Holy Family is an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age artist Arent de Gelder. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting portrays the biblical Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus, with Mary holding the child and Joseph positioned protectively beside them.

The painting portrays the biblical Holy Family, Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus, with Mary holding the child and Joseph positioned protectively beside them. Orange cloth drapes the infant, emphasizing his sacred role. The composition reflects Counter-Reformation ideals of familial devotion and divine intimacy, aligning with religious art conventions of the Dutch Golden Age.

The work was created in 1650 by Arent de Gelder for the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it remains part of the permanent collection.

Technique & Style

The Holy Family is executed in oil paint on canvas, measuring 78 × 95.5 cm. The work belongs to the religious genre, depicting the Holy Family with attendant figures. Arent de Gelder, a pupil in the circle of Rembrandt, employed the medium with the painterly handling characteristic of the Rembrandt school. The canvas support and oil technique allowed for the rich tonal layering and atmospheric effects typical of Dutch Golden Age painting in this tradition.

History & Provenance

Arent de Gelder painted the Holy Family in 1650. The work is executed in oil on canvas and measures 78 by 95.5 cm. The painting was owned by Jakob Gsell before entering the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it remains.

Overview

Arent de Gelder, a Dutch painter active in the mid‑17th to early 18th centuries, produced the oil painting titled Holy Family around 1650. Executed during the Dutch Golden Age, the work presents a small, intimate group of figures illuminated by subdued lighting, and it is currently part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.

Context

During the period when de Gelder worked, Dutch artists increasingly turned to religious genre scenes for private devotion, despite the Protestant climate that limited public church commissions. Holy Family exemplifies this trend, merging intimate domestic settings with sacred subject matter, a synthesis characteristic of the later Dutch Baroque.

Artist & collection

Artist

Arent de Gelder

Aert de Gelder (Dutch:; October 26, 1645 – August 27, 1727) was a Dutch painter, the only Dutch artist to paint in the tradition of Rembrandt's late style into the 18th century.