Birth of the Virgin 1510 - 1515

Marcantonio Raimondi created this engraving of the Birth of the Virgin sometime between 1475 and 1534. We are presented with a scene brimming with activity, yet the serene angel hovering above draws our eye, bearing not a sword or trumpet, but what appears to be a censer—a vessel for incense. The act of censing, of perfuming the air with sacred smoke, speaks to purification and reverence, a motif echoed in earlier depictions of divine announcements across cultures. Consider the Roman use of incense in temples, or even earlier Egyptian rituals. Here, it suggests a divine blessing upon Mary's birth, subtly influencing our emotional engagement, imbuing the scene with a sense of sanctity. The censer as a symbol is itself a fascinating evolution, changing from pagan ritual to Christian sacrament, demonstrating how symbols are never static. They resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings in different historical contexts.