The Holy Family with Mary Magdalenc. 1590–95 · Study 1926.247

Context from the museum

The seemingly weightless figures, the startling color combinations, and the moody, imprecise setting all show El Greco’s interest in conveying the intense spirituality of these figures rather than their concrete reality. Above all, the painting addresses Mary’s role as mediator between Christ and the viewer. She supports her son, but her faraway look indicates awareness of his fate. Mary feeds Jesus fruit held by Joseph that is full of symbolic meaning, with the apple representing the fall of man; cherries, the blood of Christ; peaches, salvation; and pears, the sweetness of Christ’s virtue.

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

A detail to notice

The nearly levitating body of the Christ child further emphasizes the ethereal setting of the Holy Family.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected unframed measurement for The Holy Family with Mary Magdalen is 100 cm wide and 130 cm high, equivalent to approximately 39.4 × 51.2 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.77:1. The rectangular bounding area is 1.30 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 33.3% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 100.0 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 with Mary Magdalen 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 100 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?