The Holy Family with St John the Baptist and St Mary Magdalen

Marco Palmezzano painted this Holy Family with Saints John the Baptist and Mary Magdalen around 1500, during his productive period as the leading painter of Forlì in Romagna. A devoted follower of Melozzo da Forlì, Palmezzano maintained a conservative but technically accomplished style. His altar panels were widely distributed in churches across the Romagna. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique.

Oil on panel with Palmezzano's characteristic bright, even lighting and precise architectural perspective. The figures are solidly modeled with smooth surfaces and clear, luminous colors in the Romagnole tradition.