Takima and Nazanin, The Creation of the Holy Family, 2011

Inspired by Perino del Vaga, Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist, 1528-1537.

We were drawn to this at first because we liked the contrast between the finished and unfinished parts. This made us think about the process of painting and made us wonder why the artist did not complete it.

The artist was not very well known but was influenced by Michelangelo. To depict the family in a more natural way rather than being too religious was a new thing in the sixteenth century. He focused on the mother and child relationship rather than being all about Jesus.

We tried to show the process of painting and how it would have looked in the beginning stages. But also how it would look if he took it further.

It is about the process people go through when creating art rather than telling a story. At first we wanted to create a story about why the artist did not finish the painting, but instead we explored different animation techniques and materials.

Inspired by:

Perino del Vaga, Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist, 1528-1537

Perino del Vaga, Holy Family with Saint John the Baptist, 1528-1537

This unfinished work offers a rare glimpse in the early stages of the painting process. The children’s bodies and the adults’ hands were modelled thinly in paint. In the rest of the composition, two types of underdrawing are visible. Mary’s features were traced from a cartoon, but her exuberant drapery was drawn freehand with a fine brush. Perino del Vaga was a member of Raphael’s workshop and became the leading painter in Rome. However, this painting was probably executed during his decade-long stay in Genoa.