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Giorgione Venetian, 1477/1478 - 1510 The Holy Family, probably c. 1500 oil on panel transferred to hardboard, 37.3 x 45.6 cm (14 5/8 x 17 7/8 in.) Samuel H. Kress Collection 1952.2.8 |
Object 2 of 7
Knowledge of Giorgione’s life and career is in inverse proportion to his artistic importance. He remains one of the least documented and most influential of all Renaissance painters. A single signed painting exists. Beyond that, scholars must attempt to identify his works on the basis of style and on sixteenth-century household inventories, which provide only brief indications of subject matter. Many of Giorgione’s paintings were made for private patrons, so records that typically document large civic and religious commissions are not available. Difficulty also arises in distinguishing the early work of Giorgione from that of his contemporaries Sebastiano del Piombo and Titian, who were also pupils of Bellini and whose early styles were likewise heavily influenced by their teacher.
This painting must be one of those early works. Essentially Gothic in its symbolism, it contrasts Joseph, who represents the incomplete and imperfect era of the Old Law, with Jesus and Mary, who usher in the new era of Grace. While Joseph sits on an unfinished wall, mother and child rest on a humble rock that emphasizes Christ’s humility and humanity. The figures, especially the aged, bearded Joseph, closely resemble those painted by Bellini.
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