Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist as a Child
Andrea Mantegna·1495
Historical Context
Andrea Mantegna's Holy Family with St. Elizabeth and St. John the Baptist as a Child, painted around 1495, is housed in the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden. The extended Holy Family, showing the intimate gathering of Jesus, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, and the young John the Baptist, became an increasingly popular devotional subject in the late 15th century. This intimate composition reflects Mantegna's late style, softer than his earlier archaeological manner.
Technical Analysis
Mantegna's late work shows a mellowed style with warmer color harmonies and softer modeling than his early Paduan period, while retaining his trademark precision in drawing and classical compositional balance.
