La Vierge au Lys. La Vierge au Lys / The Virgin of the Lilies by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) is my favourite depiction of Our Blessed Lady. A young girl such as Mary could be betrothed …More
La Vierge au Lys.
La Vierge au Lys / The Virgin of the Lilies by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) is my favourite depiction of Our Blessed Lady. A young girl such as Mary could be betrothed between the ages of 12 to 18, and in all probability, was betrothed at the median age of 15 - which would account for the painting depicting a girl of around 16 years old. The soft floral background, golden halos, and deep Persian Blue mantle, give added depth to the painting and forward movement of the child Jesus. Our Lady’s downcast eyes, averted to the left, intensifies the gaze of the child Jesus. The three great virtues of Our Blessed Lady are present in the picture: purity (white inner veil), humility (downcast eyes) & charity (the offering of her child). Our Blessed Mother presents the child Jesus for the salvation of the world with regal dignity. The colour of her mantle reminds us of Queen Esther (Star of Persia) who rescued her people from destruction. As Queen Esther came to the aid of her people; so Our Blessed Lady, Queen of Heaven & Earth (Star of the Sea) has come to assist her children. Her arms are vested in red, the colour of love and martyrdom; for true love is sacrificial. Those tender arms would one day be stained by the blood of the King of Friday. The child Jesus is held close to the heart of Our Blessed Lady. One hand rests over the heart of Jesus, the other over His legs. His heart would be pierced but His legs would not be broken.The identical finger positions (ring finger / middle finger) of Our Lady’s hands are unusual, as anatomically it would be difficult to achieve or hold those finger positions. What mysterious meaning this finger placement conveys, I do not know. That slender hold of the most precious jewel of heaven (“the desired of all nations”, Haggai 2:7) is a wondrous sight to behold. Jesus is symbolically presented in a crucified position: arms raised, feet crossed, knees bent (displaying final death position). The pain and torment experienced by the crucified one is too terrible to contemplate. The hands of the child Jesus are raised in greeting but also in farewell. Jesus holds up His right hand in blessing (index and middle finger depicting His two natures) and His left hand is held open awaiting the nail of Calvary. The child Jesus is presented without clothes, for this was the way criminals were crucified, stripped of any vestige of dignity (tradition suggests that Our Blessed Lady offered her veil to Centurion Longinus for Jesus to retain some modesty before the onlookers). Jesus set aside all, to save all. RC
La Vierge au Lys / The Virgin of the Lilies by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825-1905) is my favourite depiction of Our Blessed Lady. A young girl such as Mary could be betrothed between the ages of 12 to 18, and in all probability, was betrothed at the median age of 15 - which would account for the painting depicting a girl of around 16 years old. The soft floral background, golden halos, and deep Persian Blue mantle, give added depth to the painting and forward movement of the child Jesus. Our Lady’s downcast eyes, averted to the left, intensifies the gaze of the child Jesus. The three great virtues of Our Blessed Lady are present in the picture: purity (white inner veil), humility (downcast eyes) & charity (the offering of her child). Our Blessed Mother presents the child Jesus for the salvation of the world with regal dignity. The colour of her mantle reminds us of Queen Esther (Star of Persia) who rescued her people from destruction. As Queen Esther came to the aid of her people; so Our Blessed Lady, Queen of Heaven & Earth (Star of the Sea) has come to assist her children. Her arms are vested in red, the colour of love and martyrdom; for true love is sacrificial. Those tender arms would one day be stained by the blood of the King of Friday. The child Jesus is held close to the heart of Our Blessed Lady. One hand rests over the heart of Jesus, the other over His legs. His heart would be pierced but His legs would not be broken.The identical finger positions (ring finger / middle finger) of Our Lady’s hands are unusual, as anatomically it would be difficult to achieve or hold those finger positions. What mysterious meaning this finger placement conveys, I do not know. That slender hold of the most precious jewel of heaven (“the desired of all nations”, Haggai 2:7) is a wondrous sight to behold. Jesus is symbolically presented in a crucified position: arms raised, feet crossed, knees bent (displaying final death position). The pain and torment experienced by the crucified one is too terrible to contemplate. The hands of the child Jesus are raised in greeting but also in farewell. Jesus holds up His right hand in blessing (index and middle finger depicting His two natures) and His left hand is held open awaiting the nail of Calvary. The child Jesus is presented without clothes, for this was the way criminals were crucified, stripped of any vestige of dignity (tradition suggests that Our Blessed Lady offered her veil to Centurion Longinus for Jesus to retain some modesty before the onlookers). Jesus set aside all, to save all. RC
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For a personal appreciation of the beautiful depiction of Our Blessed Lady and the Child Jesus, click text - La Vierge au Lys / The Virgin of the Lilies by William-Adolphe Bouguereau ...