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The Holy Family on the Steps
Nicolas Poussin, 1648
This looks simple but is, in the words of the Cleveland Museum of Art, a complex meditation on the role of the Holy Family in the redemption of humanity. Mary stands at the centre and presents the child to the world.
On the left, Saint Elizabeth leans forward to foretell his death, and her son, Saint John the Baptist, offers Jesus an apple, a sign of the fall in the Garden of Eden. On the right, Saint Joseph holds a compass, which points to his work as a carpenter and also symbolises God the Father.
Poussin planned his composition with great care. Clear primary colours, simple shapes and a geometric layout all serve the same idea, that the Holy Family is central to Christian belief. The painting is about 73 by 106 centimetres without its frame.
From the museum record
| Artist | Nicolas Poussin |
|---|---|
| Date | 1648 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Size | Unframed: 73.3 x 105.8 cm |
| Museum | The Cleveland Museum of Art |
| Credit line | Leonard C. Hanna Jr. Fund |
| Accession number | 1981.18 |
| Licence | Open Access (CC0) |
Source: The Cleveland Museum of Art collection record. Facts such as dates, sizes and credit lines come from that record. The write-up above was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the museum record and standard references. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
