1526, Andrea del Sarto (Andrea d'Agnolo), Holy Family -- Palazzo Barberini (Rome)
From the museum label: Mary is resting as she suckles the Christ Child, yet it is as though an outsider's indiscreet presence has broken into their cozy intimacy. The wary gazes of the mother and her Son reveal a hint of concern, their gestures draw in, their embrace becomes tighter and more protective, yet it is nothing but a grievous presage of all too human bewilderment at the thought of Christ's future death, which also fills with sadness the ageing Joseph's eyes as he gazes knowingly at the Babe. Behind the Virgin, the gnarled roots of three tree trunks further herald the sacrifice on the Cross.
This work, with its intensely concentrated sentiment skillfully conveyed in a controlled and balanced composition, owes a debt both to Michelangelo's sculptural solidity and to Leonardo's nuanced sfumato.
1526, Andrea del Sarto (Andrea d'Agnolo), Holy Family -- Palazzo Barberini (Rome)
From the museum label: Mary is resting as she suckles the Christ Child, yet it is as though an outsider's indiscreet presence has broken into their cozy intimacy. The wary gazes of the mother and her Son reveal a hint of concern, their gestures draw in, their embrace becomes tighter and more protective, yet it is nothing but a grievous presage of all too human bewilderment at the thought of Christ's future death, which also fills with sadness the ageing Joseph's eyes as he gazes knowingly at the Babe. Behind the Virgin, the gnarled roots of three tree trunks further herald the sacrifice on the Cross.
This work, with its intensely concentrated sentiment skillfully conveyed in a controlled and balanced composition, owes a debt both to Michelangelo's sculptural solidity and to Leonardo's nuanced sfumato.