The Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

Joseph reads quietly as Mary cares for the young Jesus and his cousin John the Baptist. The boys sit atop a basket and embrace or perhaps roughhouse a bit. A finely drawn halo signals the importance of Mary’s motherly role. Two stout columns and a sumptuous curtain frame this tender family moment. The sunlit landscape in the distance heightens the sense of wellbeing. Here Annibale Carracci served the aims of the Catholic Church to present the public with models of behavior while also making biblical figures and saints relatable. He enhanced the stature of the figures by depicting the scene from a low viewpoint; yet he avoided making them seem like stony statues by using dots and broken lines to let them dissolve in the light. Italy, Europe