Lotto, 'Family Group', completed 1547

This painting is a family portrait by Lorenzo Lotto, an artist who worked in and around Venice in the early 16th century. It is thought to be of his landlord Giovanni della Volta, a wealthy Venetian merchant, and his wife and children.

Family portraits were relatively rare in Venice, and it was highly unusual to show a married couple together with their children. Lotto may have been the first artist to paint them, as there are no earlier surviving examples of such pictures.

Since Giovanni della Volta was his landlord, Lotto would have had plenty of time to observe the family at home. His representation is incredibly detailed and honest - this is certainly a real family, engaged in real activities. Lotto's close observation of their relationship is particularly poignant, since he never married or had children of his own.

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