Artwork
Holy Family
Holy Family is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Bartolomeo Cavarozzi. It dates from 1621 and is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Bartolomeo Cavarozzi's 1621 oil painting, titled Holy Family, is a religious work that centers on the traditional Christian subject of the Holy Family.
Bartolomeo Cavarozzi's 1621 oil painting, titled Holy Family, is a religious work that centers on the traditional Christian subject of the Holy Family. The composition explicitly depicts the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph, aligning with the genre of religious art prevalent in early 17th-century Italy. As the main subject of the work, this grouping represents the domestic and spiritual unity of the central figures of the New Testament.
The painting serves as a visual meditation on these sacred figures, presenting them within the context of their familial bond as recognized in Christian iconography.
Technique & Style
The painting is executed in oil on canvas, a standard support for Italian seicento religious works. Its handling combines smooth modelling of flesh with a softly blended chiaroscuro that gently models the figures’ volumes under calm, diffused light. The composition arranges the Holy Family, Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph, in a compact, pyramidal arrangement, with Mary centrally placed and Joseph positioned to the left, his gaze directed toward the child.
The palette is restrained, favoring earthy reds, ochres, and umber, enlivened by the Virgin’s deep ultramarine mantle and the Child’s delicate flesh tones. The overall finish is fine and polished, with meticulous attention to drapery folds and the soft textures of skin and hair.
History & Provenance
The oil-on-canvas painting titled Holy Family was created by Bartolomeo Cavarozzi in 1621. Executed in Italy, the work depicts the religious subjects of Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph. Measuring 143.5 cm in height and 121 cm in width, the piece is currently held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum.
The painting Holy Family by Bartolomeo Cavarozzi is held in the collection of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. Created in 1621, the work is executed in oil on canvas and depicts the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph. The source material does not provide a specific inventory or accession number for this piece, nor does it record any history of exhibitions where the painting has been displayed.
Consequently, while the location and creator are confirmed, details regarding its catalog numbering and public showings remain unrecorded in the available documentation.
Overview
Bartolomeo Cavarozzi’s Holy Family (1621) is an oil painting that presents the Virgin Mary, the infant Christ, and an elderly bearded man, traditionally identified as Saint Joseph. Rendered in the subdued lighting typical of early Baroque, the composition isolates the three figures against a dark backdrop, emphasizing their gestures and expressions.
Context
Created during the early Baroque period in Italy, the piece reflects the era’s shift toward naturalism and emotional immediacy. Cavarozzi’s adoption of Caravaggio’s tenebrism aligns the work with contemporary trends that favored intimate, candlelit scenes over grandiose altar pieces.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
Bartolomeo Cavarozzi (1587–1625), occasionally referred to as Bartolomeo Crescenzi, was an Italian caravaggisti painter of the Baroque period.
