Artwork
The Holy Family
The Holy Family is a paint painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato. It dates from 1675 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The Holy Family by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato, dated 1675, depicts the traditional devotional grouping of the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph. As a religious painting, its subject is the nuclear family of the New Testament, a motif that became one of the most frequently represented themes in post-Tridentine Christian art. The intimate association of mother, infant, and foster father served as both a model of domestic sanctity and a vehicle for contemplating the Incarnation, with Mary's maternal tenderness and Joseph's protective presence underscoring the humanity of Christ.
Rendered in paint on canvas, the work belongs to the genre of religious art and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it continues to function as an expression of Catholic devotional imagery centered on the Holy Family.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1675, it belongs to the religious genre and exemplifies the Baroque style typical of Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato.
The work is an oil painting on canvas depicting the Holy Family with Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph. Executed in 1675, it belongs to the religious genre and exemplifies the Baroque style typical of Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato. The composition emphasizes intimate familial interaction through soft lighting and delicate modeling of forms, reflecting the artist's characteristic handling of sacred subjects.
History & Provenance
The Holy Family by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato was created in 1675. It is a religious painting executed in paint on canvas, depicting the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph.
The work is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it remains located.
Legacy
The Holy Family by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato, painted in 1675, has been part of the permanent collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin since its acquisition, where it remains on public view. Its depiction of the Virgin, Child, and Saint Joseph in a serene, intimate composition has informed scholarly discussions of 17th‑century devotional painting, though no major later artistic movements cite it directly. The work is frequently referenced in studies of Baroque religious art as an example of the Holy Family genre.
Overview
The Holy Family is a 1675 oil painting by Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato, an Italian Baroque painter influenced by Raphael. The work portrays a serene domestic scene of the Christ Child with Joseph and Mary, characterized by soft lighting and gentle shadows.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (25 August 1609 – 8 August 1685), also known as Giovanni Battista Salvi, was an Italian Baroque painter, known for his archaizing commitment to Raphael's style.
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The Holy Family
The Holy Family
The Holy Family
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Holy Family
The Holy Family