Curatorial Notes
The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception maintains that the Virgin Mary was conceived free from sin, therefore ready to be the pure vessel for Christ’s birth. The Immaculate Conception enjoyed intense devotion in Spain during the 1600s, although it was only accepted as official doctrine in 1854. The abstract subject required artists to develop appropriate imagery. The crescent moon, for example, comes from the New Testament vision of Saint John the Evangelist (Revelation 12:1) of “a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet.”
Artwork Identification
Title The Immaculate Conception
Title (PT) A Imaculada Conceição
Title (ES) La Inmaculada Concepción
Artist Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Artist Bio Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617–1682)
Date c. 1680
Work Type Painting
Location & Collection
Institution Cleveland Museum of Art
Source View Museum Page
License Creative Commons Public Domain Mark 1.0
