Holy Family with St. John the Baptist 1603

Caravaggio painted the “Holy Family with St. John the Baptist” in oil on canvas, sometime in the late 16th or early 17th century. At a time when the Catholic Church was under pressure from the rise of Protestantism, artworks like this played a vital role in reaffirming core religious beliefs and values. Through its depiction of the Virgin Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and John the Baptist, the painting evokes a sense of piety and familial warmth, but with a strong dose of realism. Caravaggio was known for his dramatic use of light and shadow, which you can see here adding depth and emotion to the scene. Rather than idealizing the figures, Caravaggio presents them with a naturalism that was groundbreaking at the time. Understanding Caravaggio’s context, the religious and social pressures of his time and the norms of art institutions, enriches our appreciation of this remarkable work. Art history gives us the tools to analyze how artists like Caravaggio engaged with the world around them.