The Virgin in Prayer
Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
1650
oil
From the collection of Walters Art Museum
Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato
1650
oil
From the collection of Walters Art Museum
The Virgin in Prayer is a painting of the Virgin Mary, her hands clasped together in prayer. She wears a dark robe with a white shawl wrapped around her head and shoulders. The background is dark, with a light source coming from the upper left side of the painting. The Virgin's face is tilted upwards, her eyes cast upwards in a look of devotion. Her hands are clasped together in front of her, with her fingers intertwined. The painting is done in oil paint, with visible brushstrokes and texture. The Virgin in Prayer is a beautiful example of the use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark to create a sense of volume and depth. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.
