Holy Family with the Infant Saint John

Bartolomeo Schedoni (1578-1615)
1607-1608, Oil on panel

The Holy Family portrays a blond baby Jesus in conversation with a slightly older Baptist, while he is in the arms of the Virgin who, with an astonished gaze and a slight Venus squint, stares blankly at the viewer. In the background and in the shadow is St. Joseph, who does not look away from the child. The intimate and familiar character of the scene conveys an idea imbued with correggesque moods of a domestic flavor, softened by the dark indoor setting, the softness of the ray of light that grazes the flesh of mother and child, and the delicacy of the shadows that envelop Joseph. The subject thus depicted was highly prized in painting of the time for its intimate and familiar character, of which Schedoni himself made several versions, some of which have been lost or dispersed. The Holy Family has been part of the Franco Maria Ricci art Collection since 2023, making it one of the works from the most recent acquisition.