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The Holy Family

Joos van Cleve Netherlandish
ca. 1512–13
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 636
Joos based this depiction of the Virgin and Child on a celebrated work by Jan van Eyck, but with the addition of a figure of Saint Joseph. The fruits and wine allude to Christ’s incarnation and sacrifice, yet, presented as part of everyday life, they also testify to the emerging genre of still-life painting. The combination of quotidian domestic intimacy and symbolic meaning must have had mass appeal, since many variations of this painting were produced for sale on the open market.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: The Holy Family
  • Artist: Joos van Cleve (Netherlandish, Cleve ca. 1485–1540/41 Antwerp)
  • Date: ca. 1512–13
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: 16 3/4 x 12 1/2 in. (42.5 x 31.8 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
  • Object Number: 32.100.57
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
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Virgin and Child, Joos van Cleve and a collaborator Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Virgin and Child
Joos van Cleve
ca. 1525
The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor, Joos van Cleve and a collaborator Netherlandish, Oil on wood
The Crucifixion with Saints and a Donor
Joos van Cleve
ca. 1520
The Holy Family, Joos van Cleve Netherlandish, Oil on oak panel, Netherlandish
The Holy Family
Joos van Cleve
possibly 1527–33
The Last Judgment, Joos van Cleve Netherlandish, Oil on wood
The Last Judgment
Joos van Cleve
ca. 1525–30
Francis I (1494–1547), King of France, Joos van Cleve Netherlandish, Oil on canvas, transferred from wood
Francis I (1494–1547), King of France
Joos van Cleve

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