Alter Mann mit junger Frau und Kleinkind (Heilige Familie_) 

Jacob Jordaens created this expressive drawing of an old man, a young woman, and a child with pen and brown ink, brush and grey wash, heightened with white body colour, and red chalk. The drawing's formal structure presents a fascinating play with contrasts. The old man, presumably Joseph, is rendered with strong, defined lines, his figure substantial and weighty, occupying the left of the composition. In contrast, the figures of Mary and the child are ethereal, created with softer lines and a gentle wash, almost as if emerging from a dream. Jordaens uses this contrast to explore the tension between the earthly and the divine. Joseph's grounded, weighty presence anchors the composition while the lighter treatment of Mary and the child suggests a spiritual transcendence, destabilizing a traditional family portrait. The visible sketch lines add to the dynamism, reminding us of the artist's process and the fluidity of meaning. The interplay between the solid and the ephemeral invites us to consider the Holy Family not as a fixed entity, but as a concept constantly being formed.