This painting of Mary, Jesus, and Joseph sitting at a dinner table reflects a growing trend in the 1600s to imagine the daily life of the Holy Family. For example, the Spanish author Alonso de Villegas (1533–1603) wrote that Joseph was the first man to recognize young Jesus as the Son of God. He reflected on what it must have been like for Joseph to live with Jesus, enjoying his conversation, “eating together at a table . . . and drinking from the same glass.”

The composition of this scene does invite viewers to imagine themselves sharing a meal with the Holy Family. Perhaps it hung in a monastery or convent in a large room called a refectory, where monks and nuns would gather to eat meals.

The text and images on the opposite wall yield insights into the history, making, and meaning of The Holy Family at Table while raising questions for further study.