With a squirming baby and a bowl of fruit, a mother and her family look as if they could be having a picnic under threatening skies.
But look deeper. The mother is Mary and she's handing Jesus a piece of fruit, an echo of Eve handing Adam an apple. Her far-off gaze conveys sadness at knowing what the future holds. The friend is Mary Magdalene, the poster girl for sin, casting her eyes down in penitence.
The fifth and latest installment of the Portland Art Museum's Masterworks series brings El Greco's "Holy Family With Saint Mary Magdalen" to Portland through April 5.
