The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John

Giovanni Antonio da Brescia likely used a drawing or painting by his teacher Andrea Mantegna to produce this pared-down scene of the Holy Family, with its strong strokes, relief-like shadows, and crisp details. While the New Testament of the Bible does not mention the meeting between the infant Christ and his young cousin John, the scene was a popular one beginning in the fourth century. In some traditions, the cousins visited Mary, Joseph, and Jesus in Bethlehem just after the Nativity, while others were set in Jerusalem after the Presentation. Importantly, this grouping heralds John’s future role in baptizing the adult Christ.