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The Carpenter's Shop in Nazareth. Bolivia, Alto Peru, late 18th century. Oil on canvas, 29 5/8 x 31 7/8 in. (75.2 x 81 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Frank L. Babbott Fund, 43.112
Scenes of the Holy Family often blend delightful domestic details with the presence of the divine. Here, an Andean artist divides the canvas into two arenas of concentrated activity: at right, the faithful son, Jesus, helps Joseph saw a board; at left, Mary, ever industrious, attends to her needlework. Mary's white embroidery and the potted lilies behind her represent her purity. Throughout the scene, angels assist under the watchful eye of the Archangel Michael at left. In the upper right corner, God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of a white dove hover over Jesus, forming a Holy Trinity to match the earthly one of father, mother, and son.
Eastern Parkway/Brooklyn Museum