Holy Family in the Workshop of St. Joseph
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Paper, linen, silk, silver foil, glass
Dimensions
Overall: 13 1/2 x 11 1/2 x 3 in. (34.3 x 29.2 x 7.6 cm)
Classification
Paper
Culture
Southern German or Austrian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Loretta Hines Howard, 1964
Accession Number
64.164.256
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled within a glass-fronted frame, *Holy Family in the Workshop of. Joseph* is a 19th-century tableau from southern Germany or Austria. Crafted an unknown artist, this scene (13½ × 11½ × 3 inches) depicts the Virgin Mary, infant Jesus, and St. Joseph in a humble carpenter's workshop, surrounded by tools and everyday details. Made from layered paper, linen, silk and shimmering silver foil, it creates a three-dimensional depth, evoking a sense of sacred domesticity. This artwork exemplifies folk religious art from Catholic regions, where such mixed-media "shadow boxes" or paper sculptures we...