Where can I see Andrea del Sarto's Holy Family?

The Medici Holy Family is displayed at the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, Italy, in the Galleria Palatina. It has been there since 1635.

Who commissioned this painting?

Ottaviano de' Medici commissioned the work around 1529. He paid double the agreed price after del Sarto loyally waited to deliver it during the siege of Florence.

What colors dominate this painting?

Del Sarto used dull, calibrated tones: red, ash blue, burnt brown, and violet. This restrained palette was characteristic of his later work.

Why was Andrea del Sarto called 'the painter without errors'?

Andrea del Sarto was known as "senza errori" for his technical perfection. He was considered one of the finest High Renaissance painters in Florence.

Where Is Holy Family? See It at Palazzo Pitti

Italian artist Andrea del Sarto painted this Holy Family around 1529 for Ottaviano de' Medici, a central figure in Florentine political and cultural life. The commission came during the siege of Florence, and according to Vasari, del Sarto refused all other offers while Ottaviano was imprisoned, waiting faithfully until he could deliver the work to his original patron. Ottaviano responded by paying double the agreed price.

The composition forms a rough pyramid that tilts toward the left, with Saint John the Baptist cut off at the waist. Del Sarto's later style favors dull, calibrated colors: red, ash blue, burnt brown, and violet. Light enters from the left, enhancing the carefully draped clothing that demonstrates his mastery of drawing.

The painting first appeared in the Tribuna display in 1589 and moved to the Palazzo Pitti in Florence in 1635, where it remains today. Del Sarto died of plague in 1530 at just forty-four, making this one of his final works. He was known during his lifetime as the painter "without errors."