The Holy Family

Francesco Francia, the leading painter of Bologna from the 1480s until his death in 1517, created this Holy Family around 1510. Originally a celebrated goldsmith, Francia turned to painting in his thirties and established a prolific workshop that defined Bolognese painting, producing devotional works of serene beauty influenced by Perugino and the young Raphael. The oil medium allowed for rich tonal transitions and glazed layers of color that created luminous depth impossible with the older tempera technique.

The panel reflects Francia's characteristic silvery palette and refined modeling, with the gentle expressions and balanced composition that made his Madonnas among the most popular devotional images in Emilia.