Mary
by Elisabetta Sirani

Elisabetta Sirani, a daughter of an artist, was a complete artist, who dedicated herself to painting and engraving. She was sensitive to the plight of women artists, so founded an art school for young girls in Bologna. The depiction of Mary with Child is enriched by the skilful pictorial rendering of material details, for example, a sleeve or a turban.  The child playfully wriggles in her mother's arms, a verisimilar translation of life, to crown her with the garland of roses, which is the flower symbol of Mary.

Elisabetta Sirani | Madonna and Child | 1663 | oil on canvas, 83 x 60 cm | National Museum of Women in the Arts | Washington (USA)