Holy Family
Medium
Black chalk
Dimensions
14-1/2 x 9-1/2 in
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Cephas G. Thompson, 1887
Accession Number
87.12.53
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department, this 18th black chalk drawing titled *Holy Family* captures a tender moment of divine intimacy. Created by an anonymous Italian artist from Bologna—possibly echoing the Mannerist style of earlier master Girolamo da Carpi (Girolamo Sellari)—the measures a modest 14-1/2 x 9-1/2 inches. It depicts the Virgin Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph in a serene grouping, evoking the timeless Christian iconography of familial piety and protection. Black chalk, a favored medium in Italian draftsmanship, allowed for subtle t...