The Holy Family outside the Stable
About this artwork
The Virgin Mary is shown breastfeeding the infant Christ outside a stable, as Joseph sits reading close by. This scene is imbued with a domestic charm. A group of three birds occupy the hay loft of the ramshackle stable and go about their own activities, just as the holy trio below are fully absorbed in theirs. The strong ox peering around the stable and the ass within are commonly found in representations of the Nativity. This drawing displays the overall refinement and steady touch that is so typical of Campagnola’s mature drawing style of the mid-1540s.
Updated before 2020
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artist:Domenico CampagnolaItalian (about 1500 - 1564)
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title:The Holy Family outside the Stable
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date created:About 1545
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materials:Pen and ink on paper
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measurements:35.20 x 27.10 cm
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object type:
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credit line:David Laing Bequest to the Royal Scottish Academy on loan 1966
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accession number:RSA 134
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gallery:
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depicted:
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subject:
Domenico Campagnola
Domenico Campagnola
Domenico, whose family was of German extraction, was born in Venice. He became the pupil and adopted son of Giulio Campagnola, under whose influence he acquired what was to become a lifelong interest in printmaking. Although Domenico was a proficient painter, he was an extremely talented graphic...
