On-line gallery
- Reference number
- P00302
- Author
- Raphael (Italian)
- Title
- The Holy Family with little Saint John, or The Virgin with a Rose
- Chronology
- Ca. 1520
- Technique
- Support
- Measures
- 103 cm x 84 cm
- School
- Theme
- Shown
- Yes
- Entrance
- COLECCION REAL
- Procedence
- Royal Collection
The Virgin Mary holds the Christ
Child in her arms. Saint John hands
him a ribbon with the words Agnus
Dei while Saint Joseph looks on.
This Latin inscription meaning Lamb
of God refers to the Passion of
Christ, who sacrifices himself,
just as lambs were sacrified by the
Jews, in order to save humanity
from sin.
The composition of this scene is
derived from Leonardo da Vinci's
Virgin of the Spindles —now lost—
which shows that the latter
continued to influence Raphael
right through his last works.
This painting is also called the
Holy Family with a Rose, in
reference to the flower o the
table, although that is now
considered a later addition.
There is no documentation as to
when this painting arrived in
Spain, but Father de los Santos
lists it in the chapter of the
Prior of the Monastery of El
Escorial in 1667.
Location on the map
