The Holy Familyc. 1620s · Study 2013.312

Context from the museum

This painting of Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and the infant Jesus is based on European sources, but it also contains several details that are specifically Indian. For example, although Mary is dressed in classical European-style robes, she is adorned with jewelry of rubies and emeralds, the preferred gems of Mughal royalty. Her fingertips are also red with henna, and she wears a bindi on her forehead. The detailed rendering of the vase evokes the Catholic St. Francis as well as Indian worship of the sun. The vessel itself points to the appreciation of Chinese blue-and-white ware imported from imperial Ming-dynasty kilns to the court of Jahangir (reigned 1605–27).

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

A detail to notice

With hennaed fingertips Mary holds the vase so baby Jesus doesn’t tip it over.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for The Holy Family is 8.7 cm wide and 14.3 cm high, equivalent to approximately 3.4 × 5.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.61:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.01 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 2.9% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 145.7 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 The Holy Family in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Gum tempera and gold on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 8.7 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?