Artwork
The Holy Family with a Lamb
The Holy Family with a Lamb is an unspecified painting. It dates from 1501 and is held in the collection of the Bavarian State Painting Collections. The work depicts a small domestic scene centered on a woman in a dark garment holding an infant, who reaches toward a lamb lying nearby.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts the Holy Family, Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph, with the addition of a lamb, a motif tied to Christ’s sacrificial role.
The painting depicts the Holy Family, Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph, with the addition of a lamb, a motif tied to Christ’s sacrificial role. The lamb’s presence underscores themes of innocence and redemption, aligning with the New Testament’s association of Jesus as the Lamb of God. The composition emphasizes familial intimacy while embedding theological significance, reflecting the period’s focus on devotional narratives that intertwine domestic tenderness with sacred symbolism.
Overview
The work depicts a small domestic scene centered on a woman in a dark garment holding an infant, who reaches toward a lamb lying nearby. An older male figure, leaning on a staff, stands beside them, his gaze directed downward. The setting is a muted landscape of gentle hills and trees that recedes into the background.
Technique & Style
The composition employs a pronounced chiaroscuro effect, contrasting illuminated forms against deep shadows to model the figures and emphasize volume. This handling of light and dark creates a dramatic spatial depth despite the relatively simple background.
Context
The inclusion of a lamb alongside the infant is atypical for religious paintings of the period, where animals often appear as peripheral details. Here the animal serves a deliberate iconographic purpose, linking the domestic tableau to broader theological narratives.
Artist & collection
