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MICHELANGELO Buonarroti: The Holy Family with the Infant St John

🖼 The Holy Family with the Infant St John, 1533-34
Black chalk over drawing in stylus
317 × 191 cm
London, United Kingdom

Rendered in warm ochre tones, four figures intertwine in complex spatial arrangement—Mary cradles Jesus while Joseph leans protectively beside them, St. John emerging from shadow below. This tondo revolutionized religious imagery by emphasizing intimate family bonds over hierarchical distance, establishing a prototype for Renaissance devotional art.

Michelangelo
Michelangelo
Frank Zöllner
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