The Holy Family with Saint Mary Magdalen
The composition of this late picture by Mantegna was inspired by Roman funerary reliefs, which, though austere in style, portray deceased family members as touchingly bonded together. Mantegna painted for the Gonzaga court in Mantua, where the antiquarian culture informing this work would have been appreciated. It is painted in distemper, an unusual medium that remains water soluble when dry, allowing the artist to blend layers of color and render strongly modeled forms. The original freshness and clarity of the colors have suffered from past cleanings and a layer of varnish, which absorbs into the surface of distemper and darkens pigments.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Holy Family with Saint Mary Magdalen
- Artist: Andrea Mantegna (Italian, Isola di Carturo 1430/31–1506 Mantua)
- Date: ca. 1495–1500
- Medium: Distemper on canvas
- Dimensions: 22 1/2 x 18 in. (57.2 x 45.7 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913
- Object Number: 14.40.643
- Curatorial Department: European Paintings
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Andrea Mantegna
n.d.
Andrea Mantegna
Late 18th or early 19th century
Andrea Mantegna
before 1475
Andrea Mantegna
ca. 1500–10
Andrea Mantegna
ca. 1490
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