Titian, The Holy Family With a Shepperd
ca 1510Paintings sorted by   Historical period  |   Painter  |  Subject matter  |  Pigments used
Overview
Medium:Â Oil
Support: Canvas
Size: 99.1 x 139.1 cm
Art period: High Renaissance
National Gallery London
NG4
Provenance: Holy Family with a Shepherd, Mappingpaintings.orgÂ
Titian, ‘The Holy Family with a Shepherd’ might be a variation of ‘Adoration of the Shepherds’ described in the Bible in Luke 2:19. The Holy Family is at the center of the composition and the ‘Annunciation to the shepherds’ by an angel is seen in the background on the right.
The pigment analysis reveals a very extensive palette typical of the Renaissance period and also Titian’s elaborate painting technique.
Pigments
Pigment Analysis
This pigment analysis is based on the work of the scientists at the National Gallery London (1). The scientists employed IR-reflectography (IRR),  X-radiography (XRR) and high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) to gain insights into the inner layers of the painting, to discover changes made during the creation of the painting, and to identify the pigments.
1 Virgin’s blue: underpaint layer contains cheaper indigo with a little red lake (and not the more frequently used azurite). The upper layer consists of high-quality natural ultramarine mixed with lead white.
2 Virgin’s red drapery: underlayer of carmine kermes lake, and lead white overpainted with the almost pure carmine lake with some madder lake.
3 Shepherd’s white shirt and trousers: lead white.
4 Shepherd’s red waistcoat: The lowest layer is of dark greyish brown colour. The red colour is based on vermilion and a little red ochre with a carmine lake (kermes) glaze on top.
5 Joseph’s purple robe: four layers containing varying proportions of azurite, carmine lake, and lead white.
6 Joseph’s orange cloak: khaki brown underpaint layer contains black, lead white, and yellow ochre. The next layer consists of orange ochre and is then overpainted by realgar and probably also orpiment.
7 Green grass in the foreground and landscape in the background: verdigris mixed with lead-tin yellow, yellow ochre and lead white.
8Â Brownish foliage of the trees in the background at the right:Â brown ochre, lead-tin yellow, and possibly some verdigris.
9 Blue sky: natural ultramarine mixed with lead white.
References
(1) Jill Dunkerton and Marika Spring, with contributions from Rachel Billinge, Kamilla Kalinina, Rachel Morrison, Gabriella Macaro, David Peggie and Ashok Roy, Titian’s Painting Technique to c.1540, National Gallery Technical Bulletin, volume 34, 2013, pp. 4-31. Available as pdf. Catalog part I pp. 62-67. Available as pdf.
Pigments Used in This Painting
Resources
See the collection of online and offline resources such as books, articles, videos, and websites on Titian in the section ‘Resources on Painters‘
PowerPoint Presentations
Painter in Context: Titian
A richly illustrated presentation on the Venetian Renaissance painter Titian (Tiziano Vecellio)Â containing information on painting technique, pigments employed, and important written and online resources.
Number of slides: 23
Formats included in the download: PowerPoint Screen Presentation (ppsx) and pdf
Publications and Websites
Publications
(1) Jill Dunkerton and Marika Spring, with contributions from Rachel Billinge, Kamilla Kalinina, Rachel Morrison, Gabriella Macaro, David Peggie and Ashok Roy, Titian’s Painting Technique to c.1540, National Gallery Technical Bulletin, volume 34, 2013, pp. 4-31. Available as pdf. Catalog part I pp. 62-67. Available as pdf.
