The Education of the Virgin
ca. 1617-18
Painted when Velázquez was just a teenager in Seville, this scene brings the holy family down to earth with incredible warmth. St. Anne, wrapped in a heavy golden robe, guides the young Virgin Mary’s finger across a book, while a bearded St. Joseph pauses his carpentry work to watch. The dramatic lighting makes the figures glow against the deep shadows, but the real charm is the domestic detail: a sleeping cat and dog curl up at the bottom, and the child looks out at us as if we just walked into the room.
- Technique
- Oil on canvas
Location: Museo de Bellas Artes de Sevilla
Views: 4