The Assumption of the Virgin 

William Etty painted this depiction of The Assumption of the Virgin with oils. The subject is the Virgin Mary being taken up to heaven, a popular theme in European art for centuries. Painted in England, the image taps into the cultural reverence of idealised feminine beauty. Mary is surrounded by angels who are themselves strikingly beautiful young women. The artistic institutions of Etty’s time were based on a hierarchical system that valued the nude male form above all else. Etty had a deep understanding of the naked body and challenged conventional morality by painting nude figures in his historical and mythological works. Although this painting is chaste, it may represent his lifelong negotiation with the artistic establishment. As historians, we use visual and cultural analysis to understand the meanings that would be attributed to such an image by its original audience, drawing on historical documents, cultural studies, and religious scholarship to understand the social role of art.