The Immaculate Conception

Full of Grace

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo’s The Immaculate Conception is perhaps the most beloved depiction of the Virgin Mary in art history.

Painted with ethereal softness and golden light, Murillo captures Mary not as a distant icon, but as a young woman full of hope and divine favor. She stands on the crescent moon, surrounded by playful cherubs, her eyes lifted to heaven in total trust.

This print radiates peace. It is a timeless reminder of purity, grace, and the maternal love that watches over us.

The Details

• Artist: Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (1678)
• Title: The Immaculate Conception of the Venerable Ones (La Inmaculada de Soult)
• Original Location: Museo del Prado, Madrid
• Theme: The Virgin Mary

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

The Master of Sevillian Devotion Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was the most beloved figure of the Spanish Baroque and a central pillar of the Golden Age in Seville. Orphaned at a young age, he rose to become the leading religious painter of his time, eventually founding the Seville Academy of Art in 1660. While his contemporary Velázquez focused on the royal court in Madrid, Murillo remained deeply rooted in the spiritual life of Seville, creating works that transformed complex theological concepts into accessible, deeply moving human experiences.

Murillo’s career was defined by his immense popularity among both the Church hierarchy and the common people. He is most famous for his "Inmaculadas," which set the definitive visual standard for the Virgin Mary’s purity in Western art. His legacy lies in his ability to combine a masterful technique with a profound sense of "sweetness" and mercy, moving away from the severe drama of early Baroque toward a softer, more lyrical vision of faith. Today, he is celebrated as a poet of the brush, whose works continue to inspire a sense of peace and celestial wonder.