Description Attributed to Francesco Paglia. Saint Catherine of Siena Oil on canvas cm 73x98 The scene depicts the Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and the Child Jesus, according to the traditional iconography of the Holy Family. The composition is intimate and collected, in perfect harmony with the spiritual and devotional style typical of Francesco Paglia. Mary is at the center of the scene, inclined towards the Child with a gaze full of sweetness and maternal love. Her face is idealized, serene and composed, framed by a white veil that falls softly on her shoulders. The Child Jesus is wrapped in swaddling clothes, asleep or just awake, resting on his mother's lap. His face is peaceful, and his body is painted with delicacy and naturalness. Saint Joseph, placed behind the Virgin and barely visible, observes the scene with discretion and contemplation. His mature face and white beard clearly identify him. The composition is set on a pictorial oval, a recurring element in Francesco Paglia's production, which gives the work a devotional and private tone, as if it were an object for domestic meditation. The setting is sober, with a dark and indefinite background, which highlights the figure of the saint within a pictorial oval, as if it were a framed portrait. Mature work, attributable to the late period of Francesco Paglia's pictorial production (Brescia 1635-1714) as can be deduced from precise stylistic references to similar productions for typology present in the city of Brescia: the cycle of roundels of Saints made at the end of the century for the basilica of the Madonna delle Grazie and a Sant'Eurosia present inside the diocesan Seminary. Many stylistic references peculiar to Paglia: for the Holy Family, the abundant descriptivism of the folds of the drapery, also a distinctive element of Paglia's production. Also common is the tendency to flatten the background with the clear intention of giving importance to the narrated subjects, also through the skilful use of soft light and veiled color. From the critical analysis of Dr. Michele Peli The painting is accompanied by: Expertise Dr. Michele Peli Dimensions cm 73x98 Provenance Private collection Conditions The work, on a second canvas, has recently undergone conservative restoration. Slight signs of retouching from previous restorations.