Art Analysis: The Young Virgin By Francisco De Zurbarán

In 1632-33, Francisco de Zurbarán, created the oil painting, The Young Virgin, depicting the young Virgin Mary interrupting her traditional task of sewing vestments in a Jewish temple to have a moment of deep prayer. The piece features the Virgin sitting on the ground, hands clasped, and looking upwards. Around her head is a semicircle of cherubic angels. Her sewing project lies on her lap, a piece of fabric with a thread, awaiting her next stitch. On her left are a table with a book (presumably a religious text) and scissors, a basket full of cloth at her feet, and a vase of flowers on her right. Curtains frame the sides of the image, with a golden-like halo around the Virgin's head. From this photo, it is clear that this image is an embodiment

The artwork is dominated by all sorts of lines, mostly diagonal lines from the pink curtain surrounding both sides of the frame. The entire frame is dominated by all sorts of shapes, the harsh lines of the table, the crisscrossing of the basket, and the wrinkles on her sleeves. The only piece of the work where lines are not heavily used nor provides a distraction is the Virgin Mary’s face and the space golden surrounding her head. Even her hair is free from any sort of lines or harshness in texture, further emphasizing the divine and purity in thought due to soft lines being easier on the viewer's eyes compared to the rest of the piece. The artwork not only draws attention to her face but highlights the fact that her mind and her face are free from imperfections, in this moment she is completely pure from worldly sins and

There are many symbolic religious elements to this piece, including the jug of water (water is a symbol of cleanliness), the white cloth(white being a symbol of purity), and flowers at the Virgin’s feet (flowers being a common symbol of purity and virtue). Furthermore, the soft glowing light at her head reflects on her face and surroundings in a halo-like fashion - making it clear that she has a divine connection with God. The gold colour is the strongest source of light in this artwork, making it seem as if it is other-worldly, and the heads of the angels surrounding the halo only further certify that assumption. The Virgin once again represents the ideal, holy female and it is clear that although she has a connection with God, she is also a respectable, dutiful, and domestic woman in society, hence the sewing, which was a respectable female occupation during the time this painting was created. These two elements both convey the message that young girls should be both religious beings but also honourable and dutiful women in society as