The Holy Family

Anthony van Dyck (and studio) 1599 - 1641

Summary

This picture of the Holy Family was probably painted by Van Dyck's studio assistants, possibly with his help. The Virgin is shown gazing tenderly down at the Infant Jesus in her lap, her left breast bared to feed him. Joseph, holding a book, is seen in profile in the top left corner; four cherubs appear in the clouds in the top right. A landscape and a sunset are broadly indicated in the background. The painting dates from Van Dyck's second Antwerp period, 1627-32, immediately before he moved to England. Recent research on this picture for the exhibition Finding Van Dyck (Philip Mould, London, 2011) has confirmed which areas are likely to be by Van Dyck's hand and which not: the lower two cherubs, for example, are highly accomplished, while the drapery is not as convincing as work known to be by Van Dyck's hand. Like most important artists in the 17th century, Van Dyck ran a busy studio that produced many versions of complex compositions. Most routine work would have been allocated to studio assistants, while Van Dyck would have added important finishing touches, his degree of contribution probably reflecting the importance of the commission. This painting is relatively small and the composition quite cramped, suggesting that it may have been a collaborative studio production only, intended for the lower end of the market, despite small passages of refined painting (see Grosvenor, 2011).