Marriage of the Virgin
| Support Type: | Wood Panel |
| Paint Type: | Oil Paint |
| Current Location: | Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan (Italy) |
| Location History: | The painting, dating from 1504, was moved from the Church of San Francesco in Città di Castello to the Pinacoteca in 1805. |
Even though this subject of the painting has been painted and interpreted by many other artists, however this great artwork by Raphael truly stands out. As Raphael, the Italian painter is known for his techniques of painting profound human emotions with simplicity. His paintings are often considered as grandeur, a spectacle to behold. This painting is a popular Renaissance art, which portrays the story from the Golden Legend. The story tells that there were many suitors for Mary’s hand, each carrying a staff. It was a prophecy that a bloomed flower on the stick of a suitor will indicate her fore-ordained husband. As it was, Joseph’s wooden staff had a flower grown on it. Thus, resulting into the marriage of Mary to Joseph which was preceded by a priest as shown in the painting. Rapheal, known for his architectural talents once again showcases his sublime work through the 16-sided temple visible behind the figures, in the end. As we can see, a suitor is also shown along with the crowd breaking his own wooden staff in anger. Various figures occupy the space between the wedding and the temple and add to the liveliness and harmony of the scene.