The Marriage of the Virgin 1474 - 1484

Davide Ghirlandaio, also known as David Bigordi, painted this small panel depicting “The Marriage of the Virgin,” sometime between 1475 and 1525. In this scene we see the moment Joseph and Mary are wed by a priest, set against a shallow, stage-like space. To the left, rejected suitors break their wands, an allusion to the story from the Apocrypha where only Joseph's rod miraculously bloomed, marking him as divinely chosen. Ghirlandaio came from a family of artists in Florence, a city known for its vibrant artistic and intellectual life during the Renaissance. He ran a large workshop, fulfilling commissions for altarpieces, frescoes, and portraits. His art reflects the values of his time and place, emphasizing clarity, balance, and naturalism. Ghirlandaio’s success was built on satisfying his patrons. The kind of sacred theater that he puts on display helped to reinforce social norms about marriage and family life. To fully appreciate this artwork, we can consult archival records, family histories, and religious texts, uncovering the web of meaning embedded within it.