The Holy Family under an Apple Tree

Elizabeth kneels to support her praying son, John the Baptist, while his father Zacharias offers Jesus an apple branch. This act symbolizes Jesus's role in Christian tradition as the savior, sacrificing himself to redeem humanity from Adam and Eve's sin. Dynamic poses, sinuous curves, and bold contrasts of color are characteristics often associated with Rubens and his studio. This painting may have been completed by the artist's students as a record of the composition of an earlier altarpiece.

Credit: Acquired by Sterling and Francine Clark before 1955