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Holy Family with St Elizabeth, St John and a Dove, 1608-09, MMA

NARRATOR: At first glance, this portrayal of the Holy Family is endearingly intimate and playful. Leaning back in his mother Mary’s lap, the infant Christ pulls a dove away from his older cousin John. John’s mother Elizabeth appears to the right, and to the left is Joseph the carpenter, Christ’s earthly father.

But despite the sense of informality, the painting is full of symbols that point to God’s miraculous powers, and Christ’s serious future. The dove itself represents the Holy Spirit. It’s often shown hovering above Christ’s head as John baptizes him later on, when they are adults. Also, Christ’s chubby little foot points toward his wooden cradle. It subtly echoes the shape of a tomb, and in this way, foreshadows his death to save mankind.

Rubens would have painted this intimate scene for a patron’s home, rather than for a church setting – which required a more formal depiction of the Holy Family. Nearby, you’ll see another, larger version of this painting. For a successful artist with many commissions to fulfil, copying paintings, often with studio assistants helping out, was common.