The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and an angel

This remarkably well-preserved Holy Family exemplifies what Donatella Biagi Maino described as Gandolfi’s 'refined grace' and 'measured compositional balance' (D.B. Maino, loc. cit.). At the painting’s center, the Christ Child affectionately kisses the Infant Saint John, a tender motif reminiscent of Gandolfi’s Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, Saint Anne, and Saint James the Greater at the Uffizi, Florence (inv. no. 1890.1549).

Gandolfi’s fluid brushwork and subtle chromatic harmony clearly reflect the impact of his journey to Venice in 1760, sponsored by the Bolognese merchant Antonio Buratti. There, Gandolfi studied first-hand the luminous palettes and dynamic techniques of Giambattista Tiepolo, Sebastiano Ricci, and Giovanni Battista Pittoni. Upon returning to Bologna, he successfully integrated Venetian colorism with the rigorous, disegno-oriented tradition promoted by the Accademia Clementina. The result was a mature style distinguished by classical restraint and luminous expressiveness, qualities perfectly illustrated by this elegant composition.