This week’s
#WorkoftheWeek is Luca Signorelli’s Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist and Saint Francis (ca. 1510). Sinorelli, active across Tuscany and Umbria, was celebrated for his expressive figures and approach to sacred themes. Here, the Traditional Madonna and child are joined by Joseph, John the Baptist, and Saint Francis. These saints are chosen to reflect the personal devotions of the unknown patron.
The youthful John the Baptist’s strong, muscular form reflects Signorelli’s renowned study of anatomy, admired by Michelangelo. In contrast, the delicate folds of the Madonna’s and Francis’s robes reveal the hand of Signorelli’s nephew Francesco, a testament to the collaborative nature of Renaissance workshops.