Artwork
The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Perino del Vaga. It dates from 1524 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Executed in oil on panel in 1524 by Perino del Vaga, the work functions as a devotional image within the religious genre.
The painting shows the Holy Family gathered with the infant Saint John the Baptist, accompanied by Mary, Joseph, and the young Jesus, and includes a bird as a secondary element. Executed in oil on panel in 1524 by Perino del Vaga, the work functions as a devotional image within the religious genre. Its composition emphasizes the intimate domestic setting of the Holy Family, highlighting familial unity and the early recognition of Christ’s mission through the presence of John the Baptist.
The piece is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as a religious painting.
Technique & Style
Created in 1524, The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist is executed in oil paint applied to a wooden panel support. The work measures 88.3 cm in height and 65.1 cm in width. As a religious painting by Perino del Vaga, it depicts the Holy Family alongside the infant Saint John the Baptist and includes a bird within the composition.
The piece is currently held within the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The medium of oil on panel was a standard technique for high-quality Italian Renaissance works, allowing for the detailed rendering of the figures and the integration of the bird motif into the scene.
History & Provenance
Created in 1524, this oil painting on panel is attributed to the Italian artist Perino del Vaga, also known as Pietro Buonaccorsi. The work, depicting the Holy Family alongside the infant Saint John the Baptist, measures approximately 88.3 by 65.1 centimeters. While the specific circumstances of its original commission and early ownership history are not detailed in the available records, the piece has entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The artwork remains classified as a religious genre painting within the museum's holdings, representing the artist's output during the early sixteenth century.
Context
The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist (1524) is an oil‑on‑panel religious painting by Perino del Vaga, documented in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work portrays the Holy Family together with the infant Saint John the Baptist, a bird, and the figures of Mary, Jesus, and Joseph, reflecting the devotional iconography of early sixteenth‑century Rome. Its presence in a major museum collection highlights its relevance to the study of High Renaissance sacred art and to the development of Perino del Vaga’s oeuvre within the broader Italian painting tradition.
Overview
This oil painting, titled The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, presents a traditional religious scene. A woman cradles a baby at the center, while a bearded man stands behind her, his hand resting gently on her shoulder. A third, smaller child observes the scene from the background, completing the intimate familial grouping.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Piero Bonaccorsi (1501 – October 19, 1547), known as Perino (or Perin) del Vaga, was an Italian painter and draughtsman of the Late Renaissance/Mannerism.
