Marriage of the Virgin | |
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Artist | Robert Campin |
Year | c. 1420–1430 |
Medium | oil on panel |
Dimensions | 77 cm × 88 cm (30 in × 35 in) |
Location | Museo del Prado, Madrid |
The Marriage of the Virgin, also known as The Betrothal of the Virgin, is a c. 1420–1430 oil on oak painting by Robert Campin. The painting was intended to be a metaphor, primarily focused on the transition from the Old to the New Testament, which is expressed through iconography and disguised symbolism. It entered into the Spanish royal collection at El Escorial in 1584.[1] It was later obtained by Prado Museum, where it continues to reside. This work by Robert Campin is one of his earliest and was previously attributed to Roger Van der Weyden.[2]
The painting shows the betrothing of Mary and Joseph in front of an incomplete Gothic portal. In the left background, there is a Romanesque building that presents the Miracle of the Flowering Rod. This is the event in which Joseph was chosen to be wed to Mary. Presented at the top of the building are stained-glass windows which depict scenes from the Hebrew Bible thought to be Old Testament stories, such as Abraham's sacrifice of Isaac. The overall objective of Robert Campins "Marriage of the Virgin" was to symbolize the transition of Old Dispensation to the New Dispensation.