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| Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Andrea Mantegna |
| Year | 1500 |
| Medium | tempera on canvas |
| Dimensions | 71 cm × 50.5 cm (28 in × 19.9 in) |
| Location | National Gallery,London |
The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist is a tempera on canvas painting measuring 71 cm by 50.5 cm.[1] It is attributed toAndrea Mantegna, dated to around 1500 and now held in theNational Gallery, London.[2] Due to its poor conservation the autograph is unclear, so some scholars do not directly attribute it to Mantegna. Those that do argue its idea and format definitely refer to autographed works by him.
The parapet on which the Christ Child and the infantJohn the Baptist stand also encloses theVirgin Mary, referring to theVirgin birth of Jesus and thehortus conclusus of the Virgin Mary's virginity. John holds a scroll and points to Christ, who holds a sphere representing his earthly power. In the background isSaint Joseph in a red cloak.
The Madonna and Child in the work are identical to those in Mantegna'sHoly Family with Christ as Imperator mundi in thePetit Palais inParis. He produced several similar small-format works for private devotion during this period, of which the best is perhaps theHoly Family with Saints Anne and John the Baptist (Dresden), though the London work's background of fruit and foliage is also reminiscent of hisMadonna della Vittoria (1496) and hisAltman Madonna (c.1495-1505).