The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 25, 2024
The Holy Family on the Steps: Original Stretcher and Lining Fabric
19th century
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
Poussin placed small wax models in a box pierced with holes to study lighting effects.Description
This deceptively simple composition represents a complex meditation on the Holy Family’s role in the redemption of humanity. At the center, Mary presents the Christ Child to the world. At the left, Saint Elizabeth leans forward to foretell his eventual death, while her son, Saint John the Baptist, offers Jesus an apple, signifying humanity’s fall from grace in the Garden of Eden. At the right, Saint Joseph holds a compass, a sign of his occupation as a carpenter and also symbolic of God the Father. Poussin developed his composition meticulously and deliberately, using clear primary colors, simple forms, and a geometric organization to express the central importance of the Holy Family in Christian belief.- {{cite web|title=The Holy Family on the Steps: Original Stretcher and Lining Fabric|url=false|author=Nicolas Poussin|year=19th century|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1981.18.a