La Familia Sagrada
c. 1725
103" x 64"
Painting, Oil on canvas
Region: Cuzco, Peru
In this painting of the Holy Family, angels flank the Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit, looking down on Mary, Joseph and Christ, the Son. Saint Joseph holds a stem of lilies, symbolizing the purity of the Immaculate Conception. Veneration of the Holy Family dates back to 17th century by Saint François de Laval (canonized in 2014 by Pope Francis I), the first bishop of New France, who founded the Confraternity of the Holy Family in 1665.