The Holy Family (The Madonna del Velo; Madonna di Loreto)
mid-16th century
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Dimensions
- 120.7 × 91.1 cm
- Status
- In Museum Collection
- Collect24 Art ID
- C24-130445
The infant Christ Child reclines on pillows while the Virgin Mary lovingly gazes down at him. She holds a transparent veil in her hands toward which the child playfully extends his hands. In the shadows behind the Virgin, Joseph watches the happy scene. This intimate and touching view of the Holy Family exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with Jesus's humanity. The Virgin's beauty and youth, the child's pudgy body, and their warm smiles enhance the sense of the Holy Family as ordinary, loving, and ultimately very human. Pope Julius II may have commissioned the painting in 1509, hanging it on a pillar, along with his portrait, during festivals in a Roman church. Thirty-five known versions of this painting exist, making it one of Raphael's most popular Madonnas.
Provenance
Gift of J. Paul Getty
Registry history
- mid-16th century — Recorded in the collection of J. Paul Getty Museum
Registered on Collect24
The identity of the collector is never published. Purchase information, documents and the exact location of the artwork remain private.
Ownership not yet verified on Collect24
This artwork is documented in the Global Art Registry, but no Collect24 account is linked to it as the owner. Claiming keeps this record and its Collect24 Art ID — nothing is created a second time.
Do you own or represent this artwork? Claim this artwork →Auction history
Public sale records matched to this work. Ownership is never disclosed.
Loading sale records…