_-_The_Holy_Family_with_the_young_St_John_the_Baptist_and_St_George_-_WA1952.52_-_Ashmolean_Museum.jpg&width=1200)
The Holy Family with the young St John the Baptist and St George
Paolo Veronese·c. 1558
Historical Context
The Holy Family with the Young Saint John and Saint George at the Ashmolean Museum combines devotional and chivalric elements in a single composition. Saint George's presence alongside the Holy Family may reflect a specific patron's devotion to the warrior saint who was patron of Venice itself. Veronese brought an unprecedented grandeur and warmth to Venetian painting, combining brilliant color with architectural splendor and psychological grace, his influence shaping Baroque ceiling painting and the decorative arts throughout Europe.
Technical Analysis
Veronese's cool, silvery palette unifies the diverse group of sacred and martial figures. The armor of Saint George provides a contrasting texture to the soft draperies of the other figures, rendered with the metallic precision that Veronese brought to all his depictions of armored figures.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice how Veronese stages this scene of "The Holy Family with the young St John the Baptist and St George" with the theatrical grandeur and luminous color that defined Venetian Renaissance painting.
_The_Prophet_Ezekiel_by_Paolo_Veronese_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg&width=600)
