St. Joseph and the Christ Child
Artist: Claudio Coello (Spanish, 1642-1693)
Date: 1666
Dimensions:
H: 72 1/2 in. (184.2 cm); W: 40 1/2 in. (103 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1981.44
Label Text:Saint Joseph, earthly father of Jesus, was particularly revered in Spain during the 1600s. Whereas traditionally Joseph had been represented as an older man, paintings like this one, showing him as a young father holding the Christ Child, became common in Spain. Joseph’s carpentry tools and thin curls of shaved wood rest on the floor, and he points to the wooden cradle he has just finished. In the background, Mary sews, completing the image of the ideal family through her domestic work. These references to the earthly world mingling with heavenly angels emphasize Christ’s dual nature as both human and divine.
Claudio Coello was only 24 when he painted this work, but already an accomplished artist. The painting shows his mastery of the soft style and brilliant colors, achieved by layers of translucent glazes, common in 17th-century Spanish painting. The blank areas in the upper corners of the canvas show that the painting—probably painted for a church—was originally intended for an arched frame.
Claudio Coello was only 24 when he painted this work, but already an accomplished artist. The painting shows his mastery of the soft style and brilliant colors, achieved by layers of translucent glazes, common in 17th-century Spanish painting. The blank areas in the upper corners of the canvas show that the painting—probably painted for a church—was originally intended for an arched frame.
On view
In Collection(s)