Holy Family with a Shepherd
1524
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1524
unspecified
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Holy Family with a Shepherd is a 1524 unspecified by Battista Dossi, a Mannerism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
The painting shows Joseph, Mary, and a shepherd looking at the Christ Child. The shepherd is leaning on his staff. The artist used a new style after visiting Rome, which is seen in the poses and faces of the figures. This new style is interesting because it was influenced by Raphael's works. The artist's visit to Rome changed the way he painted. You can learn more about this style by looking into the technique of sfumato.
In this image of the Holy Family, Joseph and Mary lean in to admire the Christ Child while a shepherd looks on, leaning on his staff. Before executing this painting, Battista visited Rome, including an extensive study of Raphael's works. Afterward, Battista began a second style of painting, seen in the flexible pose of Christ, the small hands of the adult figures, the high foreheads, and each figure looking sideways or upward. The landscape is impressionistic and grainy as mysterious silvery-blue moonlight accents the thickly wooded landscape. Rich reds, browns, and greens color the…
Read the full account in the museum source.
Battista Dossi (ca. 1490–1548), also known as Battista de Luteri, was an Italian painter who belonged to the Ferrara School of Painting. He spent nearly his entire career in service of the Court of Ferrara, where he…
See the richer artist page
