The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 18, 2025

Holy Family with a Shepherd

early 1520s

Battista Dossi

(Italian, c. 1490–1548)
Italy, 16th century
oil on canvas
Unframed: 38.7 x 32 cm (15 1/4 x 12 5/8 in.)
Delia E. Holden and L. E. Holden Funds 1949.185
Location: Not on view

Description

In this image of the Holy Family, Joseph and Mary lean in to admire the Christ Child while a shepherd looks on, leaning on his staff. Before executing this painting, Battista visited Rome, including an extensive study of Raphael's works. Afterward, Battista began a second style of painting, seen in the flexible pose of Christ, the small hands of the adult figures, the high foreheads, and each figure looking sideways or upward. The landscape is impressionistic and grainy as mysterious silvery-blue moonlight accents the thickly wooded landscape. Rich reds, browns, and greens color the picturesque landscapes, typical of Battista's second style. This small painting was originally attributed to Battista Dossi's brother, Dosso. Both brothers served as court painters to the Duke Alfonso I of Ferrara. However, the symmetry and vibrant colors of the painting, as well as the facial styles of the figures, characterize the work of Battista Dossi.
  • Private collection. Bologna;
    [Giuseppe Cellini, Rome], sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1949
  • The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue of Paintings, Part 3: European Paintings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1982. Reproduced: p. 341; Mentioned: p. 340
    Francis, Henry. "An Oil by Dosso Dossi in the Holden Collection." The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 37, no. 4 (April 1950): 63-66. Reproduced: front cover; Mentioned: p. 63 www.jstor.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966. Reproduced: p. 84 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969. Reproduced: p. 84 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978. Reproduced: p. 97 archive.org
    The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue of Paintings, Part 3: European Paintings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1982. Mentioned: p. 340; Reproduced: p. 341
  • When Angels Bent Near the Earth to Touch Their Harps of Gold: The Christmas Story. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (December 1, 1981-January 17, 1982).
    CMA, December 1, 1981-January 17, 1982: "When Angels Bent Near the Earth To Touch Their Harps of Gold: The Christmas Story," no cat. (Gallery A).
    The Venetian Tradition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 8, 1956-January 1, 1957).
    CMA, 1956: "The Venetian Tradition," cat. by Henry S. Francis; cat. no. 11, pl. VII.
    Fort Wayne Art Schl & Mus. 11/14/55
  • {{cite web|title=Holy Family with a Shepherd|url=false|author=Battista Dossi|year=early 1520s|access-date=18 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1949.185