Skip to content

ZURBARÁN, Francisco de: The Virgin Mary as a Child, Asleep

🖼 The Virgin Mary as a Child, Asleep, c. 1655
Oil on canvas
103 × 90 cm

Soft golden light bathes a sleeping child in prayer robes, rendered with Zurbarán's characteristic tenebrism and intimate devotion. This image revolutionized Spanish religious art by portraying Mary's humanity and vulnerability, transforming her from distant icon to tender, relatable figure.

The story of art
The story of art
E. H. Gombrich
tap to buy ↗
We recommend Bookshop.org — supports independent bookstores
We recommend Bookshop.org — supports independent bookstores