Artwork
Holy Family
Holy Family is a paint painting by the Early Renaissance artist Francesco Francia. It dates from 1494 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Mary cradles the Christ Child while Joseph stands beside them, holding a flowering staff, a traditional attribute signifying his chosen role as Mary’s spouse.
The painting depicts the Holy Family, Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph, arranged in a devotional composition that emphasizes maternal tenderness and paternal protection. Mary cradles the Christ Child while Joseph stands beside them, holding a flowering staff, a traditional attribute signifying his chosen role as Mary’s spouse. The work’s iconography aligns with late fifteenth-century Italian devotional imagery, where the figures’ serene expressions and gentle gestures underscore themes of divine grace, familial piety, and the Incarnation.
Commissioned by Bartolomeo Bianchini in 1487, the painting reflects the period’s emphasis on intimate, emotionally resonant depictions of sacred family bonds.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1487, this religious painting by Francesco Francia utilizes paint applied to a poplar panel support. The work depicts the Holy Family, featuring the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph as its central figures. Commissioned by Bartolomeo Bianchini, the piece measures 55.2 cm in height. It is currently held within the Solly Collection at the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
History & Provenance
The Holy Family by Francesco Francia is dated 1487 and is associated with a documented commission by Bartolomeo Bianchini, indicating the painting was created to fulfill a specific private commission rather than for a public institution.
By the early nineteenth century the work entered the Solly Collection, a noted Berlin-based assemblage amassed by the British merchant Edward Solly. It was later transferred to the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings.
Francesco Francia's Holy Family, dated to 1487, is currently held in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. The work originates from the Solly Collection, which forms part of the museum's holdings. The painting is executed in oil on a poplar panel and measures 55.2 cm in height.
While the source material confirms the artwork's location and collection history, it does not provide a specific inventory or accession number. Furthermore, the available records do not document any past or future exhibition history for this specific piece.
Overview
Francesco Francia’s Holy Family (1494) is a tempera panel painting that presents a domestic scene of the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and the infant Christ. Executed during the early Renaissance, the work is part of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin’s collection, offering a modest yet carefully composed view of the biblical family.
Context
Francesco Francia, a versatile craftsman who also worked as a goldsmith, medallist, and director of Bologna’s city mint, brought a meticulous attention to detail to his paintings. Holy Family exemplifies his synthesis of fine metalwork precision with the emerging naturalism of Renaissance visual culture.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Francesco Francia, whose real name was Francesco Raibolini (1447 – 5 January 1517), was an Italian painter, goldsmith, and medallist from Bologna, who was also director of the city mint.
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