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Holy Family with Infant Saint John

Luca Cambiaso

1562

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Religious

Dominant colour

Holy Family with Infant Saint John is a 1562 ink by Luca Cambiaso, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Luca Cambiaso
When & what style?: 1562 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This sketch shows a simple scene of three figures outdoors. A woman sits holding a baby, while another child stands nearby with a small animal. The background has a fence and trees, drawn with quick, loose lines. The artist used ink and wash to keep it rough and sketchy, almost like a quick study. The figures are blocky but full of movement, especially the woman’s flowing robe. If you like this style, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build texture with lines.