The Holy Family 1485

Andrea Mantegna, who lived from about 1431 to 1506, created “The Holy Family” using tempera on wood panel. The painting presents an intimate view of the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, surrounded by other figures who are presumably family members or saints. Mantegna was deeply influenced by classical antiquity, and here he attempts to render biblical figures with a kind of realism that we can associate with the Renaissance. Yet, his figures still convey a sense of emotional distance. In Renaissance art, images of the Holy Family were a way to celebrate familial and spiritual life. However, in this painting, the Virgin Mary has a somber expression, which may allude to the future suffering of her son. The inclusion of other figures adds to the family dynamic, and the viewer is invited to consider both the personal and the divine aspects of this scene. It is in this balance between the real and the ideal, the human and the divine, that Mantegna asks us to reflect on our own place in the world.