Introduction: Marian Art throughout the Centuries
One of the most popular themes in Sacred art, ever since the Early Church, has been the Virgin Mary. Artists have painted Mary in different styles and scenes to catechize believers, evangelize non-believers, and spread devotion among Catholics. The Woman at the Fountain and Garden in the house-church at Dura-Europos in Syria (ca. A.D. 232); Michelangelo’s Pietà (1498-1499); and Murillo’s Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables (1660-1665) are telling examples of how sacred painting and sculpture have been, and continue to be, used to teach and evangelize. This capstone thesis takes up this iconographic theme by examining these three artworks in particular.
Marian Art has been used in a particular way to help the faithful live the devotional and liturgical life in the Church. The Woman at the Fountain and Garden in Dura-Europos is painted on the wall of the baptistry. This image is believed to be a depiction of the Annunciation, when Christ became incarnate in Mary’s womb. Those catechumens who were to become baptized sons and daughters of God would contemplate this image before their baptism and be reminded of Christ’s incarnation when He became Mary’s Son. In Michelangelo’s Pietà the viewer is reminded of Jesus and Mary’s humanity that is so intricately displayed in this masterpiece. This sculpture shows the sorrow and pain that Mary suffered through her Son’s Passion, which brings the faithful deeper into Christ’s redeeming act of sacrificial love. Murillo promoted devotion to the Immaculate Conception with his painting The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables. It was by this painting and many others like it, that devotion to the Immaculate Conception spread across all of Europe eventually being declared a dogma in 1854.
The methodology this essay follows starts with a brief overview of the historical context of each work of sacred art. By examining the piece of art within the framework of the cultural, political, and religious circumstances of its time, this will contribute to a deeper understanding of the work. Next, each work is analyzed from an artistic point of view; studying the medium, methodology, and style of the artist. Finally, the catechetical and evangelizing values of each artwork is presented and explained. In conclusion, a set of examples where Marian art has been used to teach and spread the truths of the Catholic faith will be presented.
Chapter One: The Early Church
The Woman at the Fountain and Garden at Dura-Europos
Historical Context
Dura-Europos was an ancient city in the Near East located on the Euphrates River. It was founded by the Seleucids around 300 B.C.[i] Throughout history, the city was destroyed and rebuilt multiple times. From circa 100 B.C. to 135 A.D, the Arsacids, known to the Romans as the Parthians, ruled over the city.[ii] Ancient paintings and delicate parchment have revealed that local families, such as the Lysiads, operated the small town.[iii] Dura-Europos was an important city on the trade route connecting eastern villages and western cities.[iv]
For centuries, Dura-Europos shifted through different political powers. Eventually, in the second century, the Romans, under Emperor Lucius Verus, controlled the city.[v] Under Roman rule, religious diversity abounded. Inhabitants of the city could worship the Greek and Roman gods as well as the gods of Syria and Persia. Jewish worship was also tolerated.[vi] However, it is not clear how Christianity, being a relatively new religion in the third century, was freely practiced in the frontier town of Dura-Europos. Some theories suggest that Syriac Christians spread their teaching there in this era of the early church.[vii] Others suggest that during the Roman occupation some of the soldiers, who were themselves converts to Christianity, brought their beliefs with them as they held control in the city, since the house-church was discovered amongst the houses of the soldiers.[viii] At any rate, based on the dates of the house-church found in Dura-Europos, it can be concluded that Christianity was present there in the third century.
The Roman rule of Dura-Europos ended circa 256 A.D. when the Sasanians seized the city. The soldiers of Sasanid captured the city and brutally destroyed it, leaving it as a pile of rubble. A crushing loss for the Roman Empire proved to be a blessing in the centuries to come.[ix] The sand and rubble preserved what remained of the ancient city of Dura-Europos until it was uncovered in the early twentieth century. Deep below the destruction lies a timeworn Jewish synagogue and what is now believed to be the earliest Christian house-church, which is still in situ.
The Woman at the Fountain and Garden
The Woman at the Fountain and Garden at Dura-Europos is a painting on the baptistry wall of the house-church. What remains today is only the top left corner of the original fresco (see fig. 1). Housed in the Yale Art Gallery collections, the faded image depicts a young woman drawing water from a well. She wears a simple dress with flowers covering her chest. The remaining part of the painting is lost to history, which makes it hard to determine who, exactly, this woman was. Some speculate that it is Rebekah from the Book of Genesis who is often depicted filling her jugs with water. It is at the well that she meets her future husband Isaac.[x] Others claim that she is the Samaritan Woman in the Gospel of John.[xi] However, recent studies have shown that the woman could quite possibly be the Virgin Mary at the scene of the Annunciation. Michael Peppard, a professor of Theology at Fordham University and graduate from Yale School of Divinity, claims that,
Through detailed analysis of textual sources and an original, extensive survey of artistic depictions of the Annunciation in late ancient and Byzantine art, this chapter [of his book The World’s Oldest Church] proposes that the earliest depiction of Mary outside of the Roman catacombs likely resides now at the Dura- Europos collection in New Haven, Connecticut[xii].
He supports this claim through extensive studies of other Byzantine artworks that depict Mary and on the traditions commonly found in the apocryphal gospels that many Syriac Christians used during the first centuries of the Early Church. If this theory proves true, then this is the earliest picture of the Virgin Mary in history.
The Annunciation is a common theme in Marian art, especially in the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance. It is generally depicted with Mary kneeling in a room being visited by the Archangel Gabriel, as seen in Fra Angelico’s The Annunciation (c. 1440-1445). Yet in Dura-Europos, Mary is depicted by herself next to a fountain without the Archangel Gabriel. This difference can be explained by the sources of each scene. Fra Angelico’s work and others from the Middle Ages and Renaissance are based on Luke’s Gospel[xiii], which records the words of the Angel, whereas the Dura-Europos fresco is based on the Syrian tradition, which depicts Mary by the fountain. Since the baptistry at Dura-Europos lay hidden under rubble and sand for so many years, the Annunciation paintings of the Middle Ages and Renaissance were not influenced by it. Rather, these artists drew their inspiration from the traditional scene found in Luke.
How The Woman at the Fountain and Garden Teaches or Evangelizes
In the ancient world, art was used to tell stories of religious beliefs or historical events. Many people were illiterate and writing on parchments was not for the average citizen. Yet, all could contemplate the stories depicted in pictures that surrounded the walls of an ancient temple or monument. In Dura-Europos, it was no different. Discovering the house-church showed that, «the church buildings even in small communities were commonly decorated with pictures long before the Peace of the Church[xiv]».
The house-church found in Dura-Europos was covered in frescos that depict various biblical scenes, from the Old Testament and the New Testament. For instance, the Parable of the Good Shepherd, the Healing of the Paralytic, Christ and Peter Walking on Water, The Woman who visited Christ’s tomb after the Resurrection, the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the Annunciation, Adam and Eve, David and Goliath; all grace the walls of this house-church. If Dr. Peppard’s theory is correct, then the picture of the Blessed Virgin by the well was the first to communicate this fundamental moment of the mystery of Christ’s Incarnation. Through these images, the inhabitants of Dura-Europos were able to spread the beliefs of the Christian faith to the generations to come simply through their pictorial language.
Chapter Two: The Renaissance
The Pietà by Michelangelo Buonarroti
Historical Context
Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on March 6, 1475, in the modest town of Caprese in Tuscany, Italy. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to Florence, where he grew up. It was in Florence that this famous painter and sculptor began to flourish. He studied under Domenico Ghirlandaio, who was a painter, and Bertello di Giovanni, who was a master sculptor. These artists exposed him to the masterpieces of the classical world, which were held in such high esteem during the Renaissance. It was here that he sharpened his talents in sculpting[xv].
As Michelangelo showcased his talent, he caught the attention of one French Cardinal, Jean Bilheres de Lagraulas. In 1498, when Michelangelo was a mere twenty three years of age, the Cardinal commissioned him to sculpt his famous statue of Mary holding her dead Son, the Pietà. After a year of meticulous sculpting, Michelangelo completed the stunning work. He carved it completely from one cube of Carrara marble, chipping away with such detail that the statue might as well be alive[xvi]. It is believed that his spectacular sculpture was to serve as an altarpiece for the Cardinal.
In 1500, men and women of the Renaissance witnessed for themselves Michealangelo’s masterpiece. The public was in awe of this marvelous sculpture. They could not believe that a young artist could accomplish such an intricate and beautiful work. From then on, Michelangelo’s reputation grew. He was commissioned for countless other famous works, such as the David (1501-1504) in Florence, or the Last Judgement (1536-1541) in the Sistine Chapel. This renowned sculptor and painter of unmatched talent died on February 18, 1564, in Rome. His life lasted a ripe eighty-eighty years. However, his incredible legacy lives on to this day[xvii].
The Pietà
When contemplating Michelangelo’s Pietà (see fig. 2), one is enraptured by the tender beauty in Mary’s face, which is shadowed by a tint of sorrow. In her arms, she holds the lifeless body of her crucified Son. Mary’s gaze is that of disbelief, confusion, and sorrow. A tear falls silently on the side of her face. She sits beneath the foot of the cross, where her Son just suffered His brutal death. Christ rests in the arms of His mother, just as He would have done countless times as a child. Surely, as a quiet baby, Jesus would sleep peacefully in Mary’s arms, as she rocked Him gently back and forth. Now, after enduring unimaginable suffering and pain, Mary holds her Son, once again, for what she thinks may be an eternal rest.
Christ’s body, with veins still bulging with blood as if still alive, lies across His mother’s lap. His head is cocked back to one side, His muscles no longer able to support His dead body. His side, pierced by the centurion’s lance, is open for all to see. His face, full of exhaustion, shows that He gave every last bit of His strength to redeem humanity.
The garments worn by Jesus and Mary are carved with such precision that they look like they could be flowing in the wind. The creases are so exact and the marble so thin at some points that it becomes translucent[xviii]. The flowing folds in their clothes, the intricate details in their hair, and the emotion on their faces all communicate a deeply realistic humanity.
How The Pietà Teaches or Evangelizes
The time of the Renaissance was marked by the revival of the Greco-Roman Classics. The Greeks and Romans glorified humanity through their sculptures. This revival mindset also permeated the Sacred art of the time. Previously, in the Middle Ages, the emphasis of sacred art was to show the connection Jesus, Mary, and the Saints had to the eternal Paradise. The gold leaf backgrounds, the celestial colors, and the presence of God the Father and the Holy Spirit all alluded to this heavenly reality. However, in the Renaissance, many artists focused more on depicting the humanity of Jesus and the saints. Michelangelo fully embraced the Renaissance style when he sculpted his famous, Pietà.
In his book, The World of Michelangelo 1445-1564, Robert Coughlan comments on Michelangelo’s technique that beautifully displays the physical beauty of Mary’s humanity. «Gently encircling Mary’s face with the delicately carved ripples of her robe, he [Michelangelo] gave to her features a look of spiritual and physical beauty new to his work»[xix]. Later, he explains that by «his extensive knowledge of anatomy, he turned the nude figure of Christ into the very quintessence of man – a figure in which there was no need, as he put it, ‘to make the human disappear from the divine’»[xx]. Mary and Christ were both fully human, and Michelangelo displays this beautifully in his masterpiece, the Pietà.
The devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows dates back to the Middle Ages. Robert Coughlan comments that «Their sources are to be found in medieval mystery plays, in religious poetry, and hymns like the Stabat Mater, which tradition again attributes to the Franciscan Jocopone de Todi, who died in 1306»[xxi]. This hymn, in particular, spread the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. It brings the faithful into a contemplation of the Passion from the view of the Blessed Mother. Through the lyrics, one begs Mary to let them experience the Passion with her so as to move one’s own heart to compassion[xxii]. In the same way, when one contemplates Michelangelo’s Pietà, one is moved with compassion for the Sorrowful Mother.
Sculpting the Pietà with such a realistic form broke from the more traditional approach of depicting this sorrowful scene of Mary. Robert Coughlan explains that,
Until the 15th Century, the theme of the Pietà belonged almost exclusively to the artist of northern Europe, whose gruesome figures of Jesus and Mary, mainly of wood, seemed designed to shock worshipers into the awareness of Christ’s sacrifice[xxiii].
Michelangelo, also, depicts this scene with sorrow and pain, yet he adds an element of peace and elegance to his sculpture, as opposed to Jean Malouel’s Pietà with the Holy Trinity, or Guido Mazzoni’s Lament over the Dead Christ. In both of these works, Christ’s body lies limp across Mary’s lap. His body is scourged, beaten, and broken. All signs of life have drained from his body. Mary’s face cries in pain and sorrow for her son’s death. Michelangelo, on the other hand, depicts Christ’s body as limp, yet still full of strength. His wounds from the soldier’s blows are not as pronounced. The emotion on Mary’s face is not one of horror, but peaceful sorrow. One can see in Mary’s eyes a look of surrender and confidence that Jesus gave his life freely. His sculpture inspires compassion, rather than horror.
Michelangelo used his statue to convey the humanity of Jesus and Mary that is relatable for the viewer. The peace and serenity in Mary’s solemn face guide the viewer to a deeply compassionate experience. Since the sculpture was meant to be placed above the altar as the priest celebrates Mass, it is as if Mary is offering her Son at the table of sacrifice. Michelangelo’s masterpiece captures the moment Christ’s body is about to fall from His Mother’s tender arms onto the Altar of the Lord. The sculpture, as a whole, invites the viewer to participate in this sorrowful moment of Mary’s sacrifice.
Chapter Three: The Baroque
The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Historical Context
Bartalomé Esteban Murrillo was a native of Seville, Spain. He was baptized as an infant on January 1, 1618. Tragically, Murillo’s parents died when he was ten years old, leaving him an orphan. His sister and her husband took him in and raised him. It was in Seville where Murrilo’s love for religious art grew[xxiv].
At sixteen, Murrilo started his art education with Juan del Castillo, a renowned painter. Castillo instructed Murillo in the Baroque style, which was popular in Spain at that time. Over the next years of his life, Murillo developed his talents of painting and drawing. By the 1670s, he had gained popularity in Seville and among church leaders. In 1660 he began to paint his well known work, The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables, which was commissioned by Justino de Neve, who was a canon of the Seville Cathedral. De Neve desired that it be painted for the Hospital de los Venerables Sacerdotes, which is a hospital for aging priests[xxv].
At that time, the subject of Mary’s Immaculate Conception was the topic of debate amongst members of the Church, particularly the Fransiscans and the Dominicans[xxvi]. The Fransicans led the charge in promoting Mary’s Immaculate Conception, while the Dominicans and their followers argued that even Mary needed to be saved from Original Sin. Murillo sided with the Franciscans, and promoted this devotion through his art. The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables is just one of his many depictions of this devotion, which was declared a Marian Dogma by Pope Pius IX in 1854[xxvii].
The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables
Murillo’s The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables (see fig. 3) stands as an icon of Baroque sacred art. It depicts the sublime mystery of Mary, the mother of Jesus, being free from the stain of Original Sin from the moment of her conception. In this exquisite painting, Mary stands above a cloud surrounded by countless innocent cherubs, that reflect the innocence of Mary’s soul. She is clothed in pure white with a deep blue mantel flowing from her shoulders. Murillo’s painting depicts Mary with a youthful face, fair skin, and soft pink lips. Her eyes gaze upward toward heaven, where the Heavenly Father will welcome her with open arms as His perfect creature. A faint, yet glowing halo surrounds her delicate brown hair. She clasped her hand over her heart, which she has preserved in perfect purity throughout her earthly pilgrimage. The background blends from a grey, marked with a hint of blue reminiscent of the skies of the earth, into a glimmering heavenly gold, which opens to Paradise. Through every detail of this beautiful artwork, Murillo is able to convey the deep truths of Mary’s Immaculate Conception.
How The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables Teaches or Evangelizes
Spain, in the seventeenth century, was full of love and devotion for the truths of the Catholic faith. Yet at the time, the belief in the Immaculate Conception of Mary was not yet a dogma and was not held by all in the Church. It was a topic of debate between theologians, particularly between Franciscans, who held this belief to be true, and Dominicans, who objected to it. Murillo was from Seville where the locals held this popular piety close to their hearts. Many artists in Spain, who supported the tradition of Mary’s Immaculate Conception, set out to promote their devotion through art. For example: Francisco Pacheco’s masterpiece in 1615; Guido Reni’s artwork in 1627; and Francisco de Zubaran’s painting in 1628; which all shared the same title, The Immaculate Conception. Murillo added his own depiction of this popular devotion in 1660, The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables. This painting quickly became popular among those who honored the Immaculate Conception. Art historian William B. Jordan writes in an article for the exhibition catalog, Bartolomé Esteban Murrillo (1617-1682) Paintings from American Collections that,
The proliferation of images of the Immaculate Conception in Spain after 1661 corresponded with the issuance in that year by Pope Alexander VII of the papal bull Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum, which legitimized the cult, and his authorization in December 1664 of the celebration of the Office and the Mass of the Immaculate Conception in Spain. It is not surprising that many of these images were made for private devotion in a society whose zeal for the cult was the primary source of pressure on the Vatican to approve it[xxviii].
Murillo began painting his portrait of Mary one year before Pope Alexander’s decree that legitimized the devotion. It is as if Murillo anticipated the Pope’s decision and completed his painting as a celebratory work of triumph. What once was looked down upon by some theologians now had the approval of the church. Yet it would take nearly another two hundred years for Holy Mother Church to declare the Immaculate Conception a Dogma of the Catholic Faith. Murillo was able to promote and spread this devotion through his paintings. With the details and symbols in the work, he showed the mystery of Mary being freed from the stain of Original Sin from the moment of her conception.
Murillo’s masterpiece differed slightly from those of his predecessors, particularly Francisco Pacheco. Pacheco kept with the traditional approach by following the guidelines for painting images of the Immaculate Conception, which he formulated in his work, Arte de la Pintura in 1649[xxix]. Pacheco advised that painters should follow several rules when painting the Immaculate Conception. The Virgin should be a young girl who is no more than twelve or thirteen years old. She should be wearing a blue mantle and white dress. Mary should be surrounded by an oval of white and have light shining from her head. Mary should be crowned with twelve stars and be standing on a half-moon. Cherubs, lilies, and roses, representing Mary’s purity, should be present in the painting. Pacheco followed these guidelines with every detail in his depiction of the Immaculate Conception.
Murillo, on the other hand, used a simpler approach in his painting. He followed the same guidelines; just to a simpler degree. Mary still wears the white tunic and blue mantle, but the light emanating from her body is not as pronounced as in Pacheco’s depiction. The twelve starts of her crown seem to fade into the background. The moon under her feet appears almost hidden. However, Murrillo painted a plethora of cherubs surrounding the Virgin, which symbolizes her purity. Murillo also chose a warmer and brighter palette than Pacheco. Overall, Murillo’s Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables contains less symbolism in the minute details, yet it was this artwork that became one of the most popular depictions of Mary’s Immaculate Conception. Through this masterpiece, Murillo was able to spread the devotion of Mary Conceived without Sin to all of Spain and beyond.
Conclusion
Sacred art has always been a powerful means to communicate the deep truths of the Catholic Faith. It has been used since the Early Church, through the Middle ages, Renaissance, and Baroque periods until the modern day. Writings and sermons are not the only means of teaching and evangelizing. Art, throughout the centuries, proved to be a sure way to bring the message of Christ and His Church to the hearts of Mankind. The Church has used Marian art for generations to teach and evangelize the faithful in the traditions and teachings about the Mother of God.
This essay lists, and explains, how different artists taught the truths about Mary and spread devotion to her through their works of art. In the Early Church, the Christians of Dura-Europos used simple wall paintings to instruct the new Christians in the stories of the Life of Mary and Jesus, as well as scenes from the Old Testament. The Woman at the Fountain and Garden depicts the moment of the Annunciation, where Christ was conceived in the womb of the Virgin Mary through the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. Marian Theology had not been developed yet, but it was in those house-churches that the seeds of faith were planted and nourished.
In the Renaissance, Michelangelo brought a new perspective to the devotion to Our Lady of Sorrows. In his Pietà, he shows the deeply moving humanity of Christ and Mary. Mary’s sorrowful, yet peaceful expression as she offers her Son in sacrifice moves the hearts of men to compassion rather than horror. The details in the delicate marble make Christ and Mary seem alive. With his Pietà, Michelangelo integrated sacred art with the popular Renaissance revival of Classical Greco-Roman art. His sculpture spread devotion to the Sorrowful Mother while still appealing to the audience of his time.
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo used his art expertise to promote the devotion to the Immaculate Conception, which he held close to his heart. At the time in Spain, the validity of this spiritual cult was under scrutiny by the Dominicans. The Order of Preachers frequently argued against this devotion while the Franciscans supported the belief. Murillo and many other artists ardently loved their sinless Mother and promulgated this devotion through their numerous artworks. Finally, to the joy of Murillo and his companions, Pope Alexander VII approved this Marian devotion, which eventually became a Dogma in 1854 under Pius IX.
Each one of these talented artists used their God-given gifts to honor, teach, and spread the Church’s Marian truths. Their use of art speaks directly to the heart of man and has no need for words to convey these profound realities. All the truth, goodness, and beauty of Mary is contained in each fresco, every brushstroke, and every last ounce of marble. The Christians of Dura-Europos in the Early Church, Michelangelo of the Renaissance, and Murillo of the Baroque period all accomplished this great and noble task.
Appendix: Table of Figures
Figure 1: The Woman at the Fountain and Garden
Artist: Unknown
Title: The Woman at the Fountain and Garden
Date: ca. A.D 232
Medium: Paint on Plaster
Dimensions: 39 × 24 in. (99 × 61 cm)
Location: Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT
Figure 2: The Pietà
Artist: Michelangelo Buonarroti
Title: Pietà
Date: 1498-1499
Medium: Marble
Dimensions: 174 cm × 195 cm (68.5 in × 76.8 in)
Location: St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
Figure 3: The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables
Artist: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Title: The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables (Soult Madonna)
Date: 1660–65
Medium: Oil on Canvas
Dimensions: 274 x 190 cm
Location: Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, Spain
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STRATTON-PRUITT, S., Bartolomé Esteban Murrillo (1617-1682) Paintings from American Collections, Harry N. Adams, Inc. New York, NY 2002
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[i] Cf. M. PEPPARD, The World’s Oldest Church Bible, Art, and Ritual at Dura- Europos, Syria, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT 2016 p. 5
[ii] Cf. J. BAIRD, «Dura-Europos», 2022, in https://smarthistory.org/dura-europos/ (referenced May 14, 2025)
[iii] Ibid
[iv] Cf. M. PEPPARD, The World’s Oldest Church Bible, Art, and Ritual at Dura- Europos, Syria, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT 2016 p. 5
[v] Ibid p. 6
[vi] Ibid
[vii] Ibid p. 20
[viii] Ibid p. 21
[ix] Ibid , p. 11
[x] Cf. Genesis 24
[xi] Cf. John 4
[xii] M. PEPPARD, The World’s Oldest Church Bible, Art, and Ritual at Dura- Europos, Syria, Yale University Press, New Haven, CT 2016 p. 43
[xiii] Cf. Luke 1
[xiv] W. LOWRIE, Art in the Early Church, Harper & Row, New York, NY 1965, p.16
[xv] Cf. Britannica Academic, Encyclopædia Britannica, «Michelangelo», 2025, in academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Michelangelo/108722 (referenced May 14, 2025)
[xvi] Ibid
[xvii] Ibid
[xviii] Cf. R. COUGHLAN, The World of Michelangelo 1445-1564, Time-Life Books, New York, NY 1960, p. 80
[xix] R. COUGHLAN, The World of Michelangelo 1445-1564, Time-Life Books, New York, NY 1960, p. 76
[xx] Ibid
[xxi] T. VERDON, Mary in Western Art, Hudson Mills Press, 2005 p. 154
[xxii] Cf. Ibid
[xxiii] Ibid
[xxiv] N. MALLORY, El Greco to Murillo, Spanish Painting in the Golden Age, 1556-1700, HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY 1990, p. 221
[xxv] Ibid p. 246
[xxvi] Cf. R. QUINN TERESI, «Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables» , 2021, in https://smarthistory.org/murillo-immaculate-conception-venerables/ (referenced on May 14, 2025)
[xxvii] Ibid
[xxviii] S. STRATTON-PRUITT, Bartolomé Estaeban Murrillo (1617-1682) Paintings from American Collections, Harry N. Adams, Inc. New York, NY 2002 p. 71
[xxix] Cf. R. QUINN TERESI, «Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, The Immaculate Conception of Los Venerables» , 2021, in https://smarthistory.org/murillo-immaculate-conception-venerables/ (referenced on May 14, 2025)
