Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Author: N / A

Created: 1861.

Material / technique: oil on canvas.  

Dimensions: 71x79 cm.

The betrothal of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a subject, which depicts an event in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary where she was betrothed to Joseph who was selected as her husband by the Holy Spirit. Both of them belonged to the House of David, both were immaculate, but had to get married under the law. The Lord wanted that the fulfilment of the renewal would come through the family. He therefore chose Mary to be the mother of the Son of God and brought to her chaste husband Joseph. According to the legends, the priests ordered all young people of the House of David to bring a branch and to lay it at the threshold of the temple – the person whose branch would bloom and on which the Holy Spirit would land would become the husband of The Virgin Mary; the branch of Joseph bloomed, which was the sign that he was to take the Virgin Mary as his spouse and to be the guardian of the Holy Family.

From childhood Blessed Mary had chosen the Lord as her fiancé and to remain a virgin for the rest of her life. At the age of 14, the high priest St Simon announced that marriage could be arranged under orders of the Lord. /.../

Joseph’s branch immediately bloomed. At the sight of this clear sign the priest called Blessed Mary to the temple. Mary came as bright as the sun and as beautiful as a lily. She was upset and did not dare to look St Joseph in the eye. St Joseph was 33 then, he was a decent and chaste man.

On the twenty-fifth day the priests married Blessed Mary. (Motiejus Valančius, „Gyvenimas Švenčiausios Marijos Panos“, Raštai 3, p. 191; 191–193)


Reference: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, P. 134.

Exhibition: Exhibition of the collection of Lithuanian art of dr. Jaunius Gumbis "Collected and Preserved", September 2016 - January 2017, National Museum of Lithuania, Vilnius.

Published: "The Lithuanian art collection of Jaunius Gumbis". Museum and Collector - 6. Vilnius: National Museum of Lithuania, 2016, P. 135.