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The Girlhood of Mary Virgin
1848-9
83.2 x 65.4 cm
oil on canvas
The lily, a flower symbolising Mary's purity, is here being grown in a pot and carefully tended by a child angel. This refers to the Angel Gabriel who will later announce to Mary that she is to bear the Son of God.
Rossetti gives us a snapshot of Mary as a child, seated with her mother St Anne and embroidering a lily while her father St Joachim prunes a vine in the background.
The painting is rich in Christian symbolism: the dove alludes to the Holy Spirit, the vine to Christian truth, the rose on the windowsill is another flower associated with the Virgin, and the lamp is a symbol of piety. Even the colours of the books that the lily pot stands on refer to Christian virtues, such as gold for charity and green for hope.
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Discover some of the fascinating themes associated with flowers
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bryn fitch from ipswich
does the space between mary and her mother depict tension between them?
johnny from london
this painting is so beautiful it inspires me and it makes me smile when i look at it.
Maria from Motherwell, Lanarkshire
Perhaps this refers to the fact that Christianity can be found all over the world ie north, south, east and west.
Kaliegh from Minnesota
Wow!! This is so good!!!
Y.Shepherd from Finland
There is so much Christian symbolism in this painting that its almost overwhelming! The vines, the lily, the lamp etc all Biblical names for Christ, and the wooden crosses, the palms on the floor, the scarlet cloak etc all predictions of what is to come. I wonder what is behind the way that each person in the painting faces a different way - north, south, east and west?
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