Oil On Panel Depicting The Holy Family, Mid-16th Century, Central Italy.

An interesting 16th-century oil painting on wood panel in excellent condition, depicting the Holy Family with several child saints, including the infant St. John and, likely, either the infant St. John or St. James. The fourth figure in the third plane is unusual, alluding to the companions and disciples of John the Baptist who would follow Christ once John had identified him as the Lamb of God.

The figure may have been added to complete the pyramidal and structural layout of the composition, which openly references mid-16th-century Florentine works by a painter who saw and used as models works by Del Sarto, Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, or Michele Tosini.

It is therefore a devotional work likely executed by a painter from the Tuscan periphery, reflecting the artistic principles he absorbed by observing the works of these artists in their most “neighboring” context.

The poplar wood panel is slightly warped in a concave and uniform manner, as is customary in works from this period, and it should be noted that the work is in excellent condition, as it shows no signs of restoration or repainting, but it has recently been given a glossy varnish to enhance the pigmentation.

The work measures 90 cm x 63 cm

A certificate of authenticity is included with the sale