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The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John

A work made of engraving in black on buff laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of engraving in black on buff laid paper.

Date:

1500/10

Artist:

Giovanni Antonio da Brescia (Italian, active c. 1490-after 1525)
after Andrea Mantegna (Italian, 1431-1506)

About this artwork

Giovanni Antonio da Brescia likely used a drawing or painting by his teacher Andrea Mantegna to produce this pared-down scene of the Holy Family, with its strong strokes, relief-like shadows, and crisp details. While the New Testament of the Bible does not mention the meeting between the infant Christ and his young cousin John, the scene was a popular one beginning in the fourth century. In some traditions, the cousins visited Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Bethlehem just after the Nativity, while others were set in Jerusalem after the Presentation. Importantly, this grouping heralds John’s future role in baptizing the adult Christ.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Giovanni Antonio da Brescia

Title

The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John

Place

Italy (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1500–1510

Medium

Engraving in black on buff laid paper

Dimensions

30 × 26 cm (11 13/16 × 10 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Mrs. Potter Palmer, Jr.

Reference Number

1956.1003

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/56697/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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