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The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist

Andrea Mantegna (c.1431–1506)

The National Gallery, London

The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist

Image credit: The National Gallery, London

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Christ is shown standing on the ledge of an oval structure, perhaps a well. He holds a crystal orb topped with jewels in his left hand and an olive branch in his right; he looks like a king or a Roman emperor. His very fine tunic clings to his body and we can see his little pot belly beneath it.Christ's cousin, Saint John the Baptist, stands to his right. He points at Christ, an indication of his role as his forerunner -- the one who foretold the significance of Christ's life and death. The scroll that unfurls around his leg was originally inscribed with the words he spoke about Christ as he baptised him: Ecce Agnus Dei (Latin for 'Behold the Lamb of God', John 1: 29).The Virgin appears to be standing within the well. This might be a reference to the 'closed well' described in Song of Solomon (4:12), which became a symbol of Mary's virginity.

The National Gallery, London

London

Read more on The National Gallery, London
Title

The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist

Date

about 1500

Medium

Glue size on canvas

Measurements

H 71.1 x W 50.8 cm

Accession number

NG5641

Acquisition method

Mond Bequest, 1924; entered the Collection in 1946

Work type

Painting

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Normally on display at

The National Gallery, London

Trafalgar Square, London, Greater London WC2N 5DN England

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Artist or maker

Andrea Mantegna

c.1431–1506

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