The Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and the Infant St. John the Baptist, 1655-65
Elisabetta Siraniexpand_more
Etchingexpand_more
The Barbara S. Longfellow Fund for Works on Paperexpand_more 2020.23
Not on Viewexpand_more
As a highly skilled woman artist in the 17th century, Elisabetta Sirani was a phenomenon. People came from great distances to see her in her hometown of Bologna. As a girl she was already considered a prodigy due to her fine drawings and paintings. Her father was a principal assistant to Guido Reni, the town’s leading artist; so, she had early exposure to serious artistic endeavor.
In this sober scene of the Holy Family, several elements foreshadow the fate of Mary and her son. She sits on a bed, a piece of furniture closely associated with images of her death. Joseph’s woodworking may allude to the cross, and the cloth being rolled by Elizabeth to Christ’s entombment.
Details
- Title
- The Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and the Infant St. John the Baptist
- Artist Life
- 1638 - 1664
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2020.23
- Provenance
- (Jan Johnson Prints, Quebec, Canada).
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Bartsch 8 II
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
Does something look wrong with this image? Let us know
Zoom in on the left to the detail you'd like to save. Click 'Save detail' and wait until the image updates. Right click the image to 'save image as' or copy link, or click the image to open in a new tab.