The Holy Family with Mary Magdalen
c. 1590–1595
Medium
oil on canvas
Dimensions
unframed: 130 × 100 cm · framed: 160 × 131 × 7.5 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
European Painting and Sculpture
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the Friends of The Cleveland Museum of Art in memory of J. H. Wade
Accession Number
1926.247
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
The seemingly weightless figures, the startling color combinations, and the moody, imprecise setting all show El Greco’s interest in conveying the intense spirituality of these figures rather than their concrete reality. Above all, the painting addresses Mary’s role as mediator between Christ and the viewer. She supports her son, but her faraway look indicates awareness of his fate. Mary feeds Jesus fruit held by Joseph that is full of symbolic meaning, with the apple representing the fall of ma...