The Holy Family

535
The Holy Family with St John the Baptist and Angels
beginning 17th c.
Hans Rottenhammer

St John the Baptist, a lamb in his arms, the Virgin and Child, the aged St Joseph and the curtain are portrayed in a steep diagonal in accordance with German Mannerism. This basic compositional diagonal is intersected by a steeper one that connects the two angelic musicians: one brightly illuminated in the foreground and the other eclipsed in far perspective, conspicuous against the light of an open window. The light glides down the animated figures and undulating drapery, vibrating in a vivid chromatic scale. Architectural elements produce the impression of spacial "flight" into depth.