The Holy Family with Saint Mary Magdalen

Andrea Mantegna

ca. 1495–1500 · Distemper on canvas · European Paintings

The composition of this late picture by Mantegna was inspired by Roman funerary reliefs, which, though austere in style, portray deceased family members as touchingly bonded together. Mantegna painted for the Gonzaga court in Mantua, where the antiquarian culture informing this work would have been appreciated. It is painted in distemper, an unusual medium that remains water soluble when dry, allowing the artist to blend layers of color and render strongly modeled forms. The original freshness and clarity of the colors have suffered from past cleanings and a layer of varnish, which absorbs into the surface of distemper and darkens pigments.

Artist

Andrea Mantegna

Date

ca. 1495–1500

Medium

Distemper on canvas

Department

European Paintings

Credit line

Bequest of Benjamin Altman, 1913