

2177
8
by
El Greco
The Holy Family with Mary Magdalen
1590 - 1595
The seemingly weightless figures, the startling color combinations, and the moody, imprecise setting all show El Greco’s interest in conveying the intense spirituality of these figures rather than their concrete reality. Above all, the painting addresses Mary’s role as mediator between Christ and the viewer. She supports her son, but her faraway look indicates awareness of his fate. Mary feeds Jesus fruit held by Joseph that is full of symbolic meaning, with the apple representing the fall of man; cherries, the blood of Christ; peaches, salvation; and pears, the sweetness of Christ’s virtue.
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
painting by El Greco (Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art)
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
painting by El Greco (Museum: Cleveland Museum of Art)
- Size:
- 130.00 x 100.00 cm (51 1/8 x 39 5/16 inches)
- Medium:
- Oil on Canvas
- License:
- Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons
- For more:
- http://www.clevelandart.org/art/1926.247?collection_search_…
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