Helper of Pinturicchio, The Marriage of the Virgin
1489-91
Fresco
Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome
This is the fourth in a series of frescos in the half-dome of the Basso della Rovere Chapel. It is a typical image of the marriage. The priest joins Joseph and Mary's hands, as witnesses look on. As a sign of Mary's fruitfulness the tree closest to her in the background is in full leaf while the others are bare.
The old man on the left pointing to Mary could be Joachim, the father of the bride. As in the images of Mary's father in the Presentation and Birth panels he has a slightly bifurcated white beard, although this beard is shorter than the others. Perhaps the little girl on the far left is a member of Mary's extended family.
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Read more about images of the marriage.
See the other frescos in the series: Mary's birth,
the Presentation,
the Annunciation, and
the Visitation.
Photographed at the church by Richard Stracke, shared under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license.