Her eyes are closed, her head framed by a white and red veil.
Bible in art · Luke
The Magnificat (Le magnificat)
James Tissot · 1886–1894
Brooklyn Museum, New York
This tall, narrow sheet shows Mary after Elizabeth has greeted her. Tissot painted her standing alone on a paved garden path, in a striped dress, red and white mantle and a white veil, her hands lifted and her eyes closed.
Behind her, in the shade of the trees, Elizabeth presses her hands together and Zechariah leans forward to listen. Tissot made most of the series small, about the size of a book page.
From the text
- “My soul magnifies the Lord” (Luke 1:46)
- Mary stays with Elizabeth in Zechariah’s house (Luke 1:40, 56)
The artist’s own
- Mary’s eyes closed and her hands open
- Elizabeth and Zechariah watching from the garden
Details
Mary’s face
Open hands
She raises both hands, palms outward.
Elizabeth
An old woman in a white headcloth, hands pressed together.
Zechariah
The old priest in a dark turban leans forward behind her.
James Tissot, French, 1836–1902. Brooklyn Museum, New York (Purchased by public subscription, 00.159.19) · Opaque watercolor over graphite on gray wove paper · Brooklyn Museum (Commons file page, «Permission»): "This image was uploaded by the Brooklyn Museum as a content partnership, and is considered to have no known copyright restrictions by the institutions of the Brooklyn Museum." — "No known copyright restrictions".