The Holy Family Arriving at a City Gate

Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo

National Gallery of Art

This print shows a scene under a stone archway involving animals and various people. On the right, a dense group of people stand on a bridge that passes under a tall stone archway. Many of the people are draped in fabric with hoods or head coverings, and many carry objects like baskets or jugs. A lantern hangs from the ceiling of the archway, and there is a large column to its left. On the left side of the print, a group with a donkey approaches the large crowd, heading towards the archway. We see the donkey from the side, and it appears to have a large bundle strapped to it. A person shrouded in a white cloth sits atop the donkey. This person’s face is partially visible facing the left, and white rays form a halo around their head. They appear to hold a small child close to them, and the child also has a halo. Standing slightly behind them and to the left, an old man walks beside the donkey, with a white beard and bald head. He holds a long staff and has a halo. In the top left corner, a small area of sky is visible, with some clouds and a few birds flying overhead.