Domínikos Theotokópoulos detto El Greco (1541-1614)

Follower of El Greco, 19th Century "The Holy Family" Copy of the version of The Holy Family with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint John in the Museo Nacional del Prado, attributed to El Greco. Measurments: 79'5 cm × 50'5 cm (without frame). 94 cm × 65 cm (with frame). Oil on canvas. On the reverse of the stretcher is a partially deteriorated stamp bearing the inscription "Museo Nacional". It also retains the copy's registration number, its title, and a signature reading "Weise". This is an authorized copy of El Greco's The Holy Family with Saint Anne, executed at the Museo Nacional (now the Museo Nacional del Prado) during the 19th century. The exact date of execution and the identity of the copyist remain unknown. This version, almost identical to the one in the Museo del Prado, depicts the Virgin Mary seated full-length at the center of the composition. She is a young woman with a contemplative expression, draped in her characteristic blue mantle. She holds the Christ Child on her lap while embracing Saint Anne beneath her right arm. Saint Anne, whose head is covered with a white, curled veil, leans tenderly toward the Child. Unlike in other versions of the subject, where the Infant is asleep, here He returns her gaze. The Virgin's mother is about to wrap the Child in a white cloth, which she holds delicately with both hands. On the opposite side, emerging discreetly behind the Virgin, Saint Joseph observes the scene. El Greco portrays him as a mature rather than elderly man, an active and vigorous saint dressed in a green doublet over a white shirt and an ochre-yellow cloak, clothing typical of a Castilian craftsman in late 16th-century Spain, in keeping with the filius fabri ("the carpenter's son") concept that some contemporary texts associated with the saint. In front of him, close to the Virgin, the young Saint John the Baptist appears as a figure somewhat detached from the main group, not only because his gaze is directed toward an undefined point beyond the picture, but also because the artist has rendered him with softer definition and on a smaller scale than the other figures. He is depicted nude, although the traditional camel skin is faintly suggested behind him. He carries a small glass bowl filled with fruit, while the index finger of his left hand, raised near his lips, seems to call for silence. The entire group is confined within a narrow space, crowned by dramatic clouds gathering above the figures' heads. This painting is an authorized 19th-century copy of the original composition attributed to El Greco and preserved in the Museo Nacional del Prado. It was produced as part of the museum's official copying program, as confirmed by the documentation preserved on the reverse of the stretcher. The frame is of a later date but is inspired by the style of the period. The painting shows evidence of minor restorations. Overall, it is in good condition.

Estimate:$784.32

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