Holy Family

Parmigianino’s swift brushstrokes enliven this Holy Family. On the right, the ground upon which Joseph walks is defined with loose, broad applications of paint. The cityscape and natural scenery of the background resemble a sketch more than a completed painting. Only the protagonists in the foreground—Mary, Jesus, and St. John the Baptist—receive Parmigianino’s exquisite finish, enabling the figures to exude maximum warmth and affection.

This painting is the major work of a brief phase in Parmigianino’s career when he experimented with egg-based tempera paint on canvas. It was likely executed around 1524–27 during his sojourn in Rome, where he was inspired by the broadly painted frescoes on building facades. As an artist who sketched compulsively, Parmigianino undoubtedly wanted to capture the spirit of drawing in paint.