The Marriage of the Virgin 1670

Bartolomé Estebán Murillo’s ‘The Marriage of the Virgin,’ made with oil on canvas, embodies the traditional techniques of the Spanish Baroque period. The painting’s impact lies in Murillo’s manipulation of his medium. Oil paint allows for a luminosity and depth, built up through layers of glazes. Murillo masterfully uses this to create a soft focus, a sense of ethereal grace, and a tactile rendering of fabric. The folds of Mary's robe and the textures of the surrounding figures are all brought to life through the careful application of paint. The process of creating such a painting involved considerable labor. From grinding pigments to preparing the canvas and applying successive layers of paint, each step was a testament to the artist's skill and patience, as well as the skilled work of his studio assistants. In this context, the finished painting is not merely an image but a record of human effort, and a triumph of craft. Appreciating the painting through its materiality allows us to see it in the context of labor and social value.