Artwork
Holy family with saints Zachary, Elizabeth and little John
Holy family with saints Zachary, Elizabeth and little John is a paint painting by the Mannerist artist Luca Signorelli. It dates from 1510 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The composition emphasizes the sacred lineage and divine mission, with the figures arranged to highlight relationships central to Christian iconography.
The painting depicts the Holy Family, comprising the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph, joined by Saints Zachary, Elizabeth, and the Child Saint John. Zachary, traditionally identified as the father of John the Baptist, appears alongside Elizabeth, the Baptist’s mother, underscoring the work’s focus on familial and prophetic connections within the Christian narrative. The inclusion of the Child Saint John, often shown as a young figure, reinforces the theme of preparation for Christ’s ministry, linking the Old Testament prophecy to the New Testament fulfillment.
The composition emphasizes the sacred lineage and divine mission, with the figures arranged to highlight relationships central to Christian iconography. The presence of Elizabeth, a kinswoman of Mary, and Zachary, a priest of the Temple, situates the scene within the continuity of salvation history, where the promises of the Old Covenant are fulfilled in the New.
Technique & Style
Created in 1510, the work is executed as a painting on a poplar panel support. The artist, Luca Signorelli, applied paint directly to this wooden ground to depict the Holy Family alongside Saints Zachary, Elizabeth, and the Child Saint John. Classified as religious art, the piece is currently housed in the Gemäldegalerie Berlin within the Italian painting galleries. The composition focuses on the sacred figures arranged in a traditional religious grouping.
History & Provenance
The painting was created by Luca Signorelli in 1510, as indicated by its internal documentation and confirmed by the Wikidata entry.
The work entered the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it remains housed in the Italian painting galleries (hall XVIII) dedicated to 13th–15th-century works. Its presence in the museum’s holdings is documented by the Wikidata record, which specifies the collection and current location.
The work is held in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, where it is catalogued as an Italian painting of the 15th–16th century.
It has been exhibited at the Gemäldegalerie within the Italian painting galleries, specifically in hall XVIII, as part of the museum’s holdings of religious art from the period.
Overview
Created in 1510 by the Tuscan painter Luca Signorelli, this oil work portrays the Virgin Mary, the infant Christ, and a group of accompanying figures. The composition is set on a tiled floor against a subdued backdrop, with the central mother and child framed by a male figure in red and a female figure in blue. The painting is part of the collection of the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Luca Signorelli (c. 1441/1445 – 16 October 1523) was an Italian Renaissance painter from Cortona, in Tuscany, who was noted in particular for his ability as a draftsman and his use of foreshortening. His massive frescos…
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