Spain / c. 1590–95
The Holy Family with Mary Magdalen
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs The Holy Family with Mary Magdalen as painting (Spain · c. 1590–95).
The nearly levitating body of the Christ child further emphasizes the ethereal setting of the Holy Family.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this painting as oil on canvas and credits El Greco (Spanish, 1541–1614).
The museum's collection notes: The seemingly weightless figures, the startling color combinations, and the moody, imprecise setting all show El Greco’s interest in conveying the intense spirituality of these figures rather than their concrete reality. Above all, the painting addresses Mary’s role as mediator between Christ and the viewer. She supports her son, but her faraway look indicates awareness of his fate. Mary feeds Jesus fruit held by Joseph that is full of symbolic meaning, with the apple representing the fall of man; cherries, the blood of Christ; peaches, salvation; and pears, the sweetness of Christ’s virtue.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtThe Holy Family with Mary MagdalenOriginal explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.