Persian carpet of the Holy Family with St Anne and St John

This imagery depicted on this carpet is inspired by a 1545/1546 painting by an Italian Mannerist painter Bronzino (1503-1572). The original painting is currently housed in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria.

In the foreground Bronzino painted the infant St John, reaching his hand towards the infant figure of Jesus. In later life, St John will become one of Jesus’ disciples. St Mary holds Jesus dearly in her arms, while St Anne and St Joseph stand on either side of her.

The figures of St Mary, Jesus, and St John stand out due to the paleness of their skin tone, almost resembling stone sculptures. In the original painting, Bronzino aimed to emphasize their sculpture-like appearance following the contemporary theory of paragone (Italian: comparison) which was a competition within art theory between painting and sculpture to discover which art form could create a better portrayal of three-dimensional forms.

The plush wool threads used to create this superb carpet emphasize the vibrancy of the colours used in the original painting. Two sides of the carpet terminate with cream-coloured tassels.

The important Renaissance painting depicted on this carpet woven in Tabriz, in addition to the high-quality weaving makes this piece a desirable addition to one’s interior space.