The Holy Family
The Met
Artist: Joos van Cleve(Netherlandish, Cleve ca. 1485–1540/41 Antwerp)
Date: ca. 1512–13
Department: European Paintings
Classification: Paintings
Medium: Oil on wood
Dimensions: 16 3/4 x 12 1/2 in. (42.5 x 31.8 cm)
Credit Line: The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
Visual Descriptions
AI GeneratedVisual Summary
Brief Description
A woman breastfeeds a baby, an older woman observes, with a still life of fruit
Detailed Description
A vertical oil painting depicts three figures and a still life on a green tabletop against a dark background. In the center, a fair-skinned woman with reddish-brown hair, covered by a sheer white veil, wears a teal dress and a red cloak lined with fur. She looks down, exposing her right breast to a naked, fair-skinned baby with light blonde hair, who is latched on. The baby holds a small orange fruit in his left hand. The woman's left hand supports the baby, while her right hand is near her breast. To the left, an older woman with a wrinkled face and a dark hooded garment looks towards the breastfeeding pair. She holds a pair of spectacles in her left hand and points with her right hand to a rolled-up scroll. The scroll displays Latin text: "Ecce ancilla domini fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum," and a small red figure. Behind the older woman, a window opens to a blue sky with white clouds. On the dark wall to the right, a small wooden shelf holds a light-colored box and a dark bottle, with a fan-shaped brush hanging below. On the green tabletop in the foreground, a clear glass goblet filled with red liquid sits on the left. In the center, a silver knife with a gold handle lies next to a whole walnut and a cracked walnut. On the right, a dark plate holds a cluster of green grapes, red cherries, a pear, a small apple, and a split pomegranate revealing its red seeds.
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