Artwork
Holy Family with St. John the Baptist and St. Catherine of Alexandria
Holy Family with St. John the Baptist and St. Catherine of Alexandria is an unspecified painting by the Mannerist artist Gianfrancesco Penni. It dates from 1518 and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a religious gathering centered on the Holy Family, comprising the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph.
The painting depicts a religious gathering centered on the Holy Family, comprising the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph. This core group is joined by two significant saints: John the Baptist and Catherine of Alexandria. The presence of John the Baptist, traditionally associated with the childhood of Christ, alongside Catherine of Alexandria, a learned martyr and patron of philosophers, frames the domestic scene within a broader theological context.
The composition unites the central figures of Christian salvation history with prominent intercessory saints, creating a devotional image that emphasizes both the humanity of the Holy Family and their connection to the wider community of faith.
Technique & Style
Gianfrancesco Penni's Holy Family with St. John the Baptist and St. Catherine of Alexandria is a religious painting executed on a support measuring 115.5 cm in height and 95 cm in width. The artwork belongs to the religious genre, depicting its main subject of the Holy Family alongside John the Baptist and Catherine of Alexandria. It is classified as a painting and is held in the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw.
Overview
Created circa 1518, this oil painting brings together the Virgin Mary, the infant Christ, Saint Joseph, the youthful Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Catherine of Alexandria. Executed in a mannerist idiom, the work balances a central, intimate grouping with a receding background, inviting close observation of the figures’ interaction.
History & Provenance
Gianfrancesco Penni, known as il Fattore, was active in early 16th‑century Italy and related to artists working in England and France. The painting entered the collection of the National Museum in Warsaw, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings of Renaissance art.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Gianfrancesco Penni (1488/1496–1528), called il Fattore, was an Italian painter. His brother Bartolommeo was an artist of the Tudor court of Henry VIII, and another brother, Luca, ended up as one of the Italian artists…
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