Artwork
The Holy Family
The Holy Family is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Martin Schongauer. It dates from 1489 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections.
About this work
Technique & Style
Executed in 1477, this religious work by Martin Schongauer is an oil painting created on a wooden panel. The composition depicts the Holy Family, featuring the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph. Physically, the artwork measures 26.5 cm in height and 17 cm in width. It is currently held within the Bavarian State Painting Collections and displayed in the Alte Pinakothek.
History & Provenance
The painting was included in the exhibition Die Malerfamilie der Colmarer Schule held at the Musée Unterlinden, Colmar, from 15 March to 15 June 2023.
Martin Schongauer created the oil painting known as The Holy Family in 1477. The work is executed in oil paint on a panel support, measuring 26.5 cm in height and 17 cm in width. It depicts the religious subjects of Mary, the Christ Child, and Joseph.
The piece is currently held within the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections and is displayed on the upper floor of the Alte Pinakothek in gallery IIb.
The work is held in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich as part of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. It is inventoried as Alte Pinakothek, gallery IIb on the upper floor.
The painting was included in the exhibition Die Malerfamilie der Colmarer Schule held at the Musée Unterlinden, Colmar, from 15 March to 15 June 2023.
Legacy
Martin Schongauer's 1477 oil painting The Holy Family, depicting Mary, Christ Child, and Joseph, exerted significant influence through its compositional clarity and emotive realism, establishing a model for later depictions of the subject in German Renaissance art. Its presence in the Bavarian State Painting Collections at the Alte Pinakothek ensured continued scholarly attention and preservation of Schongauer's legacy, inspiring subsequent artists to adopt his stylistic innovations in rendering sacred familial scenes with heightened psychological depth and spatial coherence.
Overview
Created in 1489, this oil painting by Martin Schongauer portrays the Holy Family, Mary, the infant Christ, and Joseph, set within a tranquil landscape. The work is part of the collection of the Alte Pinakothek in Munich and exemplifies late‑15th‑century devotional art.
Subject & Meaning
At the centre, Mary is seated in a flowing red garment, cradling the Christ Child on her lap, while Joseph stands to her right in a blue robe topped with a red head covering. The intimate grouping conveys familial affection and the theological significance of the Incarnation within a peaceful domestic scene.
Artist & collection
Artist
Martin Schongauer (c. 1450–1453, Colmar – 2 February 1491, Breisach), also known as Martin Schön ("Martin beautiful") or Hübsch Martin ("pretty Martin") by his contemporaries, was an Alsatian engraver and painter. He…
