Benvenuto Tisi, il Garofalo (Garofalo, Rovigo 1476 - Ferrara 1559)Workshop/Follower MAdonna and Child with Saint Joseph Oil on canvas 125 x 90 cm - Framed 143 x 109 cm. In an architectural setting of Renaissance style, we see depicted the Virgin and Child with Saint Joseph, a subject that in art is defined as the 'Holy Family', a recurring theme in Christian art, symbolizing maternal love, divine protection, and the importance of the family as a model of life. Works with this subject, usually commissioned for churches or private collections, were therefore the subject of countless depictions over the centuries, such as the one we present, executed in oil on canvas and datable between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which takes up the fresco, dated 1525, executed by Benvenuto Tisi, known as Garofalo (c. 1476 - 1559) for the Certosa of Ferrara, and now preserved at the Museum of Montecassino. A painter of Venetian origin and belonging to the Ferrara School, Garofalo was an Italian Renaissance painter known for his elegant and colorful painting, influenced by Raphael and the Roman and Venetian schools. He painted numerous versions of the Holy Family, often assisted by his workshop, similar to this one or with variations, some of which are now preserved in important collections: among these we can mention the one in the Borghese Gallery in Rome, the Vatican Pinacoteca, or the Doria Pamphilj Gallery, also in Rome. The Virgin, portrayed in a refined, regal pose, presents a delicate and youthful face that looks fixedly towards the viewer, with a rosy complexion, framed by long blond hair, and highlighted chromatically by the blue of her mantle and the red of her robe, while behind her is depicted Saint Joseph, also with youthful features, with a red robe and a dark cloak, set aside and at rest as he watches over the mother and child. Our canvas fully embodies the principle of classicism to which Garofalo was very devoted, both for the plasticity of the composition and for the architecture in which the human figures are inserted. There is indeed much of the late fifteenth-century school in this sacred narration, which denotes the painter's great admiration for the greats of painting of the 15th and 16th centuries, of which he brings back bright colors and figures in his work: the central figure of the Madonna shows a Raphaelesque face, in a Michelangelo-esque, pyramidal pose filling the center of the scene. Finally, the glimpse that opens on the left, framed by the rosy hues of the sky, with a village perched on a wooded hill, which we often find in his works, is beautiful. Observing the pictorial drafting, in the rendering close to the pictorial solutions of Giorgio Vasari, a friend of the Paduan painter, we can easily trace the attribution of the work to a member of Garofalo's workshop or to a follower active at a slightly later time. Given the high quality of works that have come down to us, especially on religious themes, it is easy to think that a large number of pupils gravitated in his workshop. The work is in a good state of conservation with restorations and retouching of the pictorial layer. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: The work is sold complete with a pleasant gilded frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and a descriptive iconographic card. We take care of and organize the transport of purchased works, both for Italy and abroad, through professional and insured carriers. It is also possible to see the painting in the gallery in Riva del Garda, we will be happy to welcome you to show you our collection of works. Contact us, without obligation, for any additional information. Follow us also on: INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/galleriacastelbarco/?hl=it FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/galleriacastelbarco/