Artwork
The Holy Family
The Holy Family is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli. It dates from 1530 and is held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child alongside two additional figures: John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene.
Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli's 1530 oil painting, The Holy Family, centers on the religious theme of the Holy Family. The composition depicts the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child alongside two additional figures: John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene. By including these specific saints, the work expands the traditional domestic grouping of the Holy Family to incorporate early Christian witnesses and penitents.
This arrangement reflects the devotional practices of the period, emphasizing the spiritual kinship between the central divine figures and their followers within a single sacred narrative.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1530, this religious painting by Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli utilizes oil paint applied to a canvas support. The work measures 75 cm in height and 58 cm in width. Stylistically, the composition depicts the Holy Family, featuring the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child alongside John the Baptist and Mary Magdalene.
The piece is classified as a painting within the religious genre and is currently held in the collection of the Statens Museum for Kunst.
History & Provenance
The Holy Family was painted by Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli in 1530, executed in oil on canvas. The sources do not record a commission, patron, or original owner, and no earlier provenance is documented before the painting entered the Statens Museum for Kunst, where it is currently held.
No information is provided about intermediate ownerships, acquisition dates, or the circumstances of the work's creation beyond the dating of 1530 and its medium.
Overview
Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli's painting, titled The Holy Family, was completed in 1530 using oil paint. This religious composition depicts a tender interaction between the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint John the Baptist. Now part of the collection at the Statens Museum for Kunst, the artwork exemplifies a popular theme within Renaissance art, rendered with a notable sense of calm and intimacy.
Context
The depiction of the Holy Family, often including the Christ Child, the Virgin Mary, and Saint John the Baptist, was a frequently explored theme during the Renaissance period. Artists of the era commonly sought to portray these sacred figures in relatable, humanizing ways, emphasizing their familial bonds. Bedoli's work aligns with this artistic tradition, presenting a tender and accessible interpretation of the revered subject.
Artist & collection
