The Holy Family
Classification
figures
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Hugh Cassel
Accession Number
1958-143-12
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione, an innovative Italian artist from Genoa (1609–1664), *The Holy Family* during early career in the 1620s. Born into a noble family, Castiglione—nicknamed "Il Grechetto"— under local masters and drew inspiration from Flemish Baroque painters like Rubens and Van Dy. This period marked the height of the Baroque era in Italy, where religious themes flourished amid the Catholic Counter-Reformation, emphasizing emotional depth and dramatic light to inspire devotion. *The Holy Family* likely portrays the tender scene of Mary, the Christ Child, and Saint Joseph, a belov...