The Virgin of Mercy
painterWorkshop of
Francisco de Zurbarán
(Fuente de Cantos, 1598 - 1664, Madrid)
Dateabout 1640
Place MadeSpain, Europe
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions139 x 42 cm (54 3/4 x 16 9/16 in.)
ClassificationsPaintings
Credit LineIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
Accession numberP6n2
Status
Not on viewWeb Commentary
Following a spectacular debut in Madrid, Zurbarán returned to Seville and dominated the market for religious paintings. This one was probably produced by his studio rather than the master himself. It depicts the Virgin Mary wearing a crown of roses enthroned in the clouds of Heaven with music making angels on either side. The Christ Child stands in her lap and raises his right hand in a blessing. Below on earth two enclosed gardens, symbolic of her purity and chastity, underscore the inscription of a passage from the biblical Book of Genesis: “And a river went out of Eden to water the garden...”.
Isabella Stewart Gardner bought this painting from an art dealer in Seville during a trip to Spain in 1888. There she witnessed Holy Week processions, watched a bull fight, and became acquainted with the finest seventeenth century Spanish religious paintings including works by Zurbarán.
Id717529
Last Updated8/9/24
EmbARK ObjectID10976
Source ID235
Object/Provenance
