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, Spanish, 1617-1682
Title
The Holy Family
Datelate 1640s
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions
205 x 167 cm
Credit LinePurchased, 1962 (Shaw Fund)
Object numberNGI.1719
Exhibition HistoryCentenary Exhibition, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, October - December 1964

Label TextThe depiction of the everyday life of religious figures, particularly the Holy Family, enjoyed wide popularity in seventeenth-century Spain. Murillo, who was the painter par excellence of this new human approach, depicted the Holy Family as humble family. Joseph, whose carpentry tools are visible in the background, is portrayed as a caring father about to hand over his son to the Virgin, who affectionately reaches out to Him. The tenebrism (dramatic illumination) of this painting is characteristic of Murillo's early work, when he was influenced by artists of the previous generation, such as Ribera, the young Velázquez and Zurbarán.