The Holy Family with the Young St. John the Baptist, St. John the Evangelist, and a Donor  1510

This painting combines two of the most popular subjects in Italian Renaissance art: the “sacred conversation” (a group of holy figures are placed in a unified space) and the Nativity. The Virgin Mary, standing before deep green cloth of honor, and Saint Joseph (left) adore the newborn Christ, who in accordance with biblical tradition lies in a simple straw manger. Christ’s...