Contemplerende Maagd Maria 1865

Edouard Girardet created this print, Contemplating Virgin Mary, sometime in the mid-19th century. It shows Mary in the aftermath of the crucifixion surrounded by mourners. The scene is lit dramatically by a single candle at the center, with a grieving woman resting by the door to the left. The image creates meaning through several well-established visual codes. The use of chiaroscuro relates the print to a history of religious painting and, in particular, the tradition of the Lamentation. The depiction of grief is meant to humanize Mary, and it makes her suffering an object of piety. This print appeared in France during a period of intense political change, where struggles between monarchists and republicans played out in the cultural sphere. The turn to religious subjects and the establishment of moralizing academies are just some of the ways the Catholic Church tried to reassert its authority at this time. To understand Girardet’s image better, we might look at the prints and paintings of his contemporaries, consult church records, and review the writings of prominent religious figures. These sources will help us to understand the social conditions that shaped his art.