The Holy Family 1750 - 1757

Giovanni Battista Tiepolo created this pen and brown ink wash drawing, titled “The Holy Family,” sometime in the 18th century. We see the classic Christian subject depicted with a new visual economy. Tiepolo was working in Venice, at a time when the city-state was past its prime as a commercial hub but still a vital center for the arts. The image is made with quick strokes and thin washes, suggesting this was a study for a larger painting, probably an altarpiece in one of the many churches that were Venice's most important patrons of art. It is interesting to note how he poses the figures. The Virgin Mary looks down with tenderness. The way Tiepolo places his figures creates a pyramid that is common in Renaissance art. To properly understand works such as these, we can investigate church records, accounts of travelers, and the archives of the Venetian academy of art. All can offer insight into the function of art in society.