The Holy Family

16th century

Italian 16th Century

Associated Names
This rectangular sculpture features four people. To the left of center, two people embrace; the larger person is kneeling, while the smaller person, who appears to be a child, sits in the lap of a woman. The woman is dressed in a flowing gown with a hood and faces to the left, toward the embracing people. All three of these people have halos behind their heads. The scene takes place outdoors, and there is a tree to the right, behind the woman. Beyond the tree, another person looks towards the group. He has a long beard and rests his head on one hand. While his torso is visible, his legs are not, as he seems to be leaning over a brick wall. He also has a halo. The people are surrounded by rocks and plants. The sculpture is a light brown color with some areas of darker discoloration.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall: 5.7 x 7 cm (2 1/4 x 2 3/4 in.) gross weight: 36 gr

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.223


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Oscar Hainauer [d. 1894], Berlin; his wife, Julie Hainauer, Berlin; acquired 1906 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); by exchange 21 October 1920 to Joseph E. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; gift 1942 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1897

  • Bode, Wilhelm von, ed. Die Sammlung Oscar Hainauer / The Collection of Oscar Hainauer. [bound as one volume, English and German pages interleaved in one page sequence] Berlin, 1897 and London, 1906: no. 247.

1908

  • A Cabinet of One Hundred & Thirty-Three Bronze Plaques and Medals of the Renaissance Period from the Collection of the Late Herr Oscar Hainauer of Berlin. Ed. Duveen Brothers. London, n.d. (but 1908): no. 46, repro.

1942

  • Works of Art from the Widener Collection. Foreword by David Finley and John Walker. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1942: 15.

Wikidata ID

Q63809650

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