The Holy Family

Jean-François Millet is mainly known as the painter of rural life in France. For these rural tableaux he often based himself on biblical stories or classic literature. The integration of such classic elements explains the religious, spiritual undertone in his work. Yet his work rarely centred on literal biblical subjects and figures. The Holy Family is an exception to this…

Jean-François Millet is mainly known as the painter of rural life in France. For these rural tableaux he often based himself on biblical stories or classic literature. The integration of such classic elements explains the religious, spiritual undertone in his work. Yet his work rarely centred on literal biblical subjects and figures. The Holy Family is an exception to this rule. The figures in this sketch are contemporary and timeless and could be part of a peasant or blue-collar family. On the other hand the smooth technique, the composition and the subject all refer to French artists of the Romantic period, and through them, to the Flemish masters of the Baroque.