Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Christ and the Madonna at Home in Nazareth
When I was browsing through 30,000 Years of Art, I came across this powerful image by Francisco de Zurbaran of Spain. It was the first time I can recall seeing this painting, "Christ and the Madonna at Home in Nazareth," which was created during the Counter-Reformation period (approx. 1638). It portrays a peaceful moment in their home, but points to the painful suffering to come. Mary takes a break from her sewing to look over at her son. Her eyes are swollen from crying. The young Jesus is working on a crown of thorns (foreshadowing his future suffering) and has pricked his finger while angels look on. It raises the question of just how much they knew of what was to come and how much Mary worried about that "sword that would pierce her heart." It illustrates the weight on the shoulders of a human woman raising a divine son.