Presentation Sketch for "The Holy Family with Saints Anne, Joachim, and John the Baptist" (for Santa Maria in Via Lata, Roma)c. 1729 · Study 1974.108

Context from the museum

During the early 1700s, Roman artists returned to fundamental Christian subjects, especially those focused on the Christ child. This work presents the Holy Family with Christ’s maternal grandparents and baby cousin, John the Baptist, stressing the importance of family relationships. Saints Anne and Joachim hold books, probably representing the Old Testament, reinforcing Christianity’s connection to the older Hebrew tradition. Trevisani’s tender visual language also looks explicitly back to Guido Reni, whose graceful approach to religious art remained immensely inspirational throughout the century.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for Presentation Sketch for "The Holy Family with Saints Anne, Joachim, and John the Baptist" (for Santa Maria in Via Lata, Roma) is 106.7 cm wide and 158 cm high, equivalent to approximately 42.0 × 62.2 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.68:1. The rectangular bounding area is 1.69 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 35.6% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 96.7 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Presentation Sketch for "The Holy Family with Saints Anne, Joachim, and John the Baptist" (for Santa Maria in Via Lata, Roma) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, oil on canvas, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 106.7 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?