The Holy Family with a Sparrow.
16th/17th century. Oil on panel 24.5 x 19.5 cm. "Peint Après le desien Raphael Urbin, Ppe De Champaigne 1650".
Philippe de Champaigne's composition depicting The Holy Family with a Sparrow is based on a drawing by Raphael (now in the Louvre), but is a free copy, where the artist has developed the composition and also added a background and other details. The motif became popular and has been disseminated as etchings.
In the Nationalmuseum, there is the same composition, inv. no. NMDrh 284, described as after Raphael, and in Sarah Ferrari's article in Art Bulletin of Nationalmuseum Stockholm Volume 27:2 in 2020, it has been suggested to be a copy after Jean Baptiste Corneille (1649-1695). It is also mentioned that other copies are known.
In this small oil on panel, the Virgin Mary is seen holding the Christ Child, beside her is St. Elizabeth and the young John the Baptist, who is holding the bird and showing it to Jesus.