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The betrothal of a virgin. Raphael santi: betrothal of the virgin mary

Board, oil. 170 x 117 cm. Brera Pinacoteca. Milan

The "Betrothal of the Virgin Mary" by Raphael, which became the object of a vandal attack several years ago, is one of the artist's most famous and revered paintings. In it, Raphael makes the transition from a devoted (albeit large) follower of the local Umbrian manner Perugino, to the rank of an artist who embodies the entire Italian Renaissance. "The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary" was written just before Raphael's trip to Florence, where he got acquainted with the sculptures Donatello, as well as the art of his illustrious older contemporaries, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

Raphael. The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. 1504

The Betrothal of the Virgin panel (signed and dated RAPHAEL URBINAS MDIIII) was commissioned by the Albizzini family for the Chapel of Saint Joseph in the Minorite Church of San Francesco in Citta di Castello. In 1798, this city was forced to give the painting to the Napoleonic General Lecky. He sold it to the Milan art dealer Sannadzari. Sannazzari in 1804 bequeathed it to the main hospital of Milan. Two years later, it was acquired by the Academy of Fine Arts and then exhibited at the Brera Pinacoteca, one of the largest galleries in Milan.

Scholars believe that Raphael was inspired by two of Perugino's compositions when painting this painting: the famous painting "Christ Handing over the Keys to Paradise to Saint Peter" from the cycle of frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the panel, "The Marriage of the Virgin Mary" (now in the Museum of Caen).

Having indicated his name and date (1504) on the frieze of the temple depicted in the back of the picture, Raphael refused anonymity and confidently declared himself as the creator of this work. The main characters stand in the foreground: Joseph the Betrothed solemnly puts a ring on the finger of the Virgin, and holds in his left hand a blossoming staff, a symbol of the chosen one. Joseph's wooden staff blossomed, while the other grooms' ones remained dry. Two of them break their staffs in frustration.

polygonal style temple Bramante creates the structure of the composition and dominates it, determining the position of the group in the foreground and other figures. In accordance with the receding perspective shown on the pavement and in the corners of the portico, the figures of the "Betrothal of the Virgin Mary" are proportionally reduced in size. The temple here is for Raphael the center of a radial system consisting of steps, a portico, buttresses, a drum - and an expanded pavement. When looking into the distance through the openings of doors and arcades, the viewer has the idea that the same beam system continues on the other side of the building.

Captured at the climax of the engagement, a group of wedding guests follow the circular rhythm of the composition. The three main figures are located in the foreground, while the rest are in depth, gradually moving further and further away from the central axis. This axis, marked by the ring that Joseph is going to put on the finger of the Virgin, divides the pavement and the temple into two symmetrical parts.

Raphael. The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. Temple. 1504

The color scheme of the "Betrothal of the Virgin Mary" is dominated by a yellowish-brown golden tone, interspersed with pale ivory, yellow, blue-green, dark brown and bright red. Light figures seem to be immersed in a crystal clear atmosphere, created most of all by a pale blue sky.

The structure of Raphael's painting, with its figures in the foreground and the central building in the background, definitely resembles the two above-mentioned paintings by Perugino. The figures of the "Betrothal of the Virgin Mary", with their small oval heads and tiny features, also seem to be copied from the works of Perugino. But Raphael's painting has a well-developed circular composition, while Perugino's is horizontal (in a style typical of the Quattrocento). This composition of a group of figures and a large polygonal building clearly distinguishes Raphael's painting from that of his teacher. Raphael's space is more open. By the ability to depict perspective, he already surpasses Perugino in this early period of his work.

The betrothal of the Virgin Mary and Joseph is considered the Mother of God holiday, celebrated on September 30, only in the Maronite Church, whose followers are the Lebanese.

The Virgin Mary made a vow to preserve eternal virginity. Virgin purity was not considered a virtue in Judaism. All the virgins brought up in the temple had to, upon reaching the age, enter into marriage. When the Virgin Mary was 14 years and 11 days old, the high priest announced to her that, according to custom, she was obliged to leave the temple, get married and move to her own house. The Most Pure Virgin humbly but firmly answered him that from her birth she had been dedicated by her parents to God and she herself had given God a vow to preserve her virginity forever and did not want to violate it. The high priest was surprised at such firm determination; the priests were also embarrassed: they could not force the Virgin to break her vow. They all gathered in the temple and fervently prayed that God would reveal his will to them. The high priest, dressed in sacred clothes, entered behind the veil with a prayer, that he might be able to hear the will of God. An angel appeared to him and said: "Zechariah! Gather unmarried men from the tribe of Judah from the house of David, and let them bring rods (their staffs). To whom the Lord shows a sign, you will give the Virgin to keep her virginity." The high priest gathered 12 pious men from the tribe of David to the temple and took the rods from them. The rods were left in the temple all night, and the next day, when the high priest with the ministers of the church and the 12 chosen men entered the temple, then they saw that the rod of Joseph blossomed. And when the high priest began to distribute the rods and gave them to the last Joseph, then everyone saw that a dove flew down from above and sat on his rod.

Joseph was a direct descendant of the dynasty of King David, but he lived by the labors of his hands, being engaged in carpentry and joinery, which he later taught Jesus Christ. Joseph was poor. The New Testament says that the Virgin Mary was sacrificed for purification after giving birth to two doves (this was only accepted among the poor).

According to the apocryphal tradition, by the time of his betrothal, Joseph was a widower of venerable age, who already had several children. However, in Catholic mysticism, by the 15th century, the idea of Joseph as a young virgin, outlined by some Latin church fathers, was revived. Such ideas were embodied, for example, in Raphael's painting "The Betrothal of the Virgin Mary". In the picture of Raphael, the moment of the betrothal of the Virgin Mary and Joseph appears as an act of universal significance. The square going into the distance, turning into a majestic temple and an endless landscape - all this emphasizes the infinity of the spiritual path of two young people. The light passing through the temple symbolizes God's blessing of the marriage of the Virgin Mary and Joseph. The image of the Virgin Mary, Raphael's favorite image, in this early picture of him is filled with extraordinary spiritual purity. Naturalness, enlightened peace, a premonition of one's destiny - all this is inherent in a young and beautiful girl.

Fidelis Schabet. Betrothal of the Virgin Mary

Alonso Cano. Betrothal of the Virgin Mary

Luca Giordano. Betrothal of the Virgin Mary

The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. Stained glass window in the Church of the Virgin Mary and the English Martyrs in Cambridge (England)

The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. Stained glass window in the temple of Provins (France)

The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. Stained glass window in the temple of the city of Wexford (Ireland)

The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. Stained glass window in the temple of the monastery Downside Abbey (England)

The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. Stained glass in the temple of the city of Freeland (England)

The betrothal of the Virgin Mary. Sculpture

Byzantium, betrothal ring, 6th century

Wedding rings don't let go. Was there a cherished ring, Elder Joseph said, addressing Mary, the canonical phrase: “You are dedicated to me with this ring, according to the law of Moses and the people of Israel,” or the high priest routinely read the marriage contract, and the cantor routinely sang seven wedding blessings. The details of the holy marriage, alas, have not been preserved.

The word "ring" is found in the Tanakh (Old Testament) forty-nine times, moreover, only in eight cases as an ornament, for which ... a puncture was made in the nose. But the word "ring" in the Old and New Testaments is seen eight times, as a familiar decoration for hands. In addition to its decorative role, the ring of those times was in the service - an imprint of a personal seal in letters and documents. It is easy to understand from the texts of the Tanakh that wedding rings were a completely optional touch of a Jewish wedding two thousand years ago.

The wedding traditions of the ancient Romans successfully invited humanity to other distances. The wedding ring became an attribute of a Christian wedding in the 4th century. This custom migrated to paintings painted according to sacred texts. Five centuries later, in 860, Pope Nicholas I officially declared a gold wedding ring mandatory at a wedding. The Pope "native" gave a blunder - not every fiancé from the flock could acquire this. Only by 1215 did the Roman Church come to its senses, and another Pope, Innocent III, officially recognized the possibility of using silver and even iron rings in a temple wedding ceremony. What-no, pluralism (not to be confused with spitting).

Upon reaching the age of fourteen, the Blessed Mary made a vow of virginity, but she was announced in the temple (where she grew up) about the obligation to marry. It is worth noting that Jews categorically do not welcome celibacy, they do not celebrate old maids in status, and the absence of children in the family is considered a terrible misfortune. All life is subject to procreation. The strange application of a young girl to dedicate herself to God did not please the temple servants at all. The puzzled priests gathered in the Holy of Holies and asked the Almighty to reveal his will. After a collective prayer, the Angel of the Lord appeared and ordered to gather “unmarried men from the tribe of Judah, the house of David” with staffs, and the Lord would send a sign to whom to give the amazing Virgin to maintain her innocence.

The high priest fulfilled the highest will and publicly called out: “Lord God! Reveal a man worthy to betrothed to the Virgin!” - with these words, he brought all the staffs of the descendants of David into the temple. And a miracle happened: the stick, on which the eighty-year-old Joseph had previously relied, blossomed, moreover, a dove flew out of it.

Joseph and the flowering staff

God's chosen one or "simple man" Joseph (as the Bible describes him), by the way, was a high family-tribe - a descendant of King David. He took Mary to the temple. Since then, the most famous carpenter in the world has been called the Holy Righteous Joseph the Betrothed.

The Internet claims that according to biblical legend, Elder Joseph put a wedding ring on the middle finger of Mary's left hand.

But in the Gospel there is no detailed description of the betrothal of Joseph and the Blessed Virgin. Yes, it couldn't be. Among the Jews, marriage is a civil contract called ketubah (ketubah) and does not claim to be a sacred sacrament - the affairs of life, the legitimate continuation of the family.

The artists painted The Betrothal based on the texts of the Golden Legend by Jacob Voraginsky, an unusually popular collection of the lives of Christian saints. By the way, most painters chose to depict a wedding ring on Mary's right hand.

The paintings interpret the betrothal of the holy couple in unison with the accepted wedding ceremony in a particular country. French painting of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, by the way, does not operate with a wedding ring at all: the newlyweds are frozen in an eternal handshake, or the priest apathetically joins the hands of the bride and groom. No wonder - the French wedding ceremony five centuries ago.

The Italian region of Umbria (north of Rome), the administrative center is the city of Perugia; the local art school depicts the betrothal of the holy couple in a more familiar way: Joseph rings the right hand of Mary.

The betrothal of Mary and Joseph (in the painting by Raphael Santi) is close to ideal. The many times repeated rounding hints at the integrity and completeness of the event. It is a symbolic fact that the almost perfect "Betrothal" was written by an artist creatively associated with the city of Perugia, where the greatest relic is kept - the ring of Our Lady.

Rumor says: Joseph did give the Virgin Mary a ring during her betrothal. Rumor oozes from European Catholic communities in the 19th century. The information comes from two sources. The first is the visions of Anna Catherine Emmerich; mystical seer and nun of St. Augustine, canonized in 2004 by Pope John Paul II. Between 1813 and 1819, the suffering Augustine was overcome by stigmata - painful bleeding wounds. Soon, the poet Clemens Brentano visited Sister Katerina, who wrote down her strange visions: the nun saw the wedding ring of the Virgin Mary. A description has been preserved: “The ring is neither made of silver, nor of gold, nor of any other metal; dark in color and iridescent at the same time; not a thin ring, but a large one, as thick as a finger. I saw it smooth, but the surface was covered with small regular triangles with letters inside. In the middle the ring is flat, engraved. It is kept behind many castles in a beautiful church. Pious people venerate him with their wedding rings before marriage.” The jewel described by Sister Katerina is indeed located in a medieval castle - the Cathedral of San Lorenzo in Perugia, with all the consequences.

The proposed wedding rings are made in the ancient undeservedly forgotten Byzantine tradition. We are talking about a small group of Byzantine wedding rings of the 6th-10th centuries, preserved in some museum collections. They have images and inscriptions, which, as we will see, quite accurately reveal the essence of Christian marriage.

On the shield in the form of a circle, cross or quadrifolia there are images of the bride and groom, located on the sides of the central figure of Christ, who blesses them by laying his hands on their heads, or joins the hands of the bride and groom (betrothal), or holds crowns over their heads (wedding ). Sometimes there is a figure of the Virgin, who blesses the bride, and Christ - the groom. Often the central figure of the Savior is replaced by the image of the Cross, on the sides of which are the half-length figures of the bride and groom. There is also often a Greek inscription ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ (consent) or ΕΚ ΘΕΟΥ ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ (consent from God). Somewhat less often - ΧΑΡΙΣ (grace) and ΥΓΙΕΙΑ (health). These are traditional wedding wishes, which are always understood as "from God ...", even if this phrase is missing. Similar inscriptions can also be found on the shank of the ring. Also on the tavern there is a Greek text of the 13th verse of the 5th Psalm: “Lord, as if with a weapon of good will you crowned us”, similar to the sacramental formula from the wedding ceremony of the 17th century: “Lord, our God, crown me with glory and honor (t .e. them)”.

On the rim of two well-known rings from the collection of Dumbarton Oaks in Washington and the collection of the Palermo Museum, having the shape of an octahedron, scenes of the gospel holidays are depicted. The content of the rings tells us that for Christians of that time, the spiritual side of marriage was of paramount importance - union in Christ in harmony and harmony, which are possible only in Him and through Him. Christ Himself is the arbiter of the sacrament. Therefore, the considered compositions represent a symbolic image of the “small Church”, as the Christian family is called in Holy Scripture. It looks especially bright in engagement rings with pictures of holidays. Here the wedding scene is directly inscribed in the annual cycle of church services, which shows the connection between the sacrament of marriage and the liturgy.

In order to understand why it was during this period that wedding rings with such a dogmatically clear and highly spiritual content could exist, it is necessary to recall the history of the emergence of the marriage ceremony. Until the 10th century The legal act of marriage was a civil procedure consisting in the signing of a marriage contract that determined the property and legal relations of the spouses, regardless of their religion. At the end of this procedure, the groom gave the bride a ring with a seal, not only as a symbol of union, but also as a symbol of delegated power, thereby entrusting her with the care of his property. Naturally, among Christians, such a ring had images of various Christian symbols. In essence, this civil act was a betrothal. But according to the Christian concept of marriage, outlined in the 5th chapter of the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians, a husband and wife can and should transform their “contract” into the real Kingdom of God. And this becomes possible only through the Eucharist. Therefore, a Christian couple, after registering a civil marriage, took part in the Eucharist, and the communion of the Holy Mysteries was the seal of marriage. Until the 9th century The Church did not know the rite of marriage, independent of the Eucharist in the liturgy. By the 4th century a solemn wedding ceremony began to take shape, accompanying this sacrament. Crowns, according to St. John Chrysostom, symbolized the victory over passions, because. Christian marriage was concluded "not according to the flesh" only, but was the sacrament of eternal life.

In 912, by decree of Emperor Leo VI, marriages were transferred to the jurisdiction of the Church, where they had to be sanctioned through a church rite. This led to a partial blurring of the distinctions between the "worldly" and the "sacred", between sinful society and the Kingdom of God, between contract marriage and sacramental marriage. It is possible that due to these historical circumstances, which secularized the attitude towards marriage, engagement rings lost their deep sacred content, and in subsequent times they developed as an object of secular jewelry art, obeying changing artistic styles and fashion trends, being a symbol of the earthly (i.e., worldly) things. e. temporary) union of husband and wife. This was facilitated by the adoption by Catholicism of the oath marriage formula “And until death do you part”, which differs from the Orthodox understanding, where marriage is “written in heaven” and is an eternal union in Christ.

The modern sacrament of marriage in the Russian Orthodox Church consists of two parts: betrothal and wedding, which since the 18th century. performed as a single rite, one after the other. It is in the rank of betrothal that rings (hoops) are put on the bride and groom, thereby affirming their intentions to marry. According to church rules, one ring must be gold, the other silver. Gold, as a symbol of power and strength, denotes the groom, and silver, a symbol of purity and purity, denotes the bride. When betrothed, the rings are changed three times as a sign of "unanimity, harmony and mutual assistance." As a result, the gold ring remains with the bride, and the silver one with the groom. In this symbolic way, the masculine and feminine are combined and complemented, forming harmony and integrity in each person.

In practice, the Church allows the use of two wedding rings from the same material at the request of those entering into marriage. Regarding the shape of the rings and the images or inserts of precious stones present on them, there were no strict church regulations. They were always present on wedding rings and rings, expressing in the language of symbols the understanding of the sacrament of marriage by Christians of different times. Today's wedding rings are most often a smooth rim without images and inserts.

In our wedding rings, we tried to revive the ancient sacral forms of the Byzantine tradition described above. The shield of the ring has the shape of a cross of Greek proportions, being a symbol of the Church. Inside the shield is a composition that marks the Christian sacrament of marriage. Its central axis is the flourishing Cross of the Lord - a symbol of Christ and His saving sacrifice. The crowns resting on the shoots of the cross denote the bride and groom who are crowned in the Kingdom of God. The crosses at the top of the crowns are also the end of the sleeves of the cross, thereby showing the connection with Christ, with his Mystical Body. The whole composition as a whole resembles a scale in a state of balance - a symbol of consent and harmony, and serves as an image of the Christian family as a "small Church". On the shank of the ring there is a Greek inscription: ΕΚ ΘΕΟΥ ΟΜΟΝΟΙΑ (consent from God), emphasizing that “marriage should be an agreement about the Lord, and not a human desire” (St. Ignatius the God-bearer, 100). Around the shield are the words of the 13th verse of the 5th psalm in the Church Slavonic language: On the inside of the shield are traditional wedding wishes in Greek: ΧΑΡΙΣ (grace) and ΥΓΙΕΙΑ (health). They are written in a cruciform formula, which gives them the character of God's blessing. We hope that today wedding rings in the ancient Byzantine tradition will help Christians entering into marriage to better understand the true essence of marriage and become a sign of the inviolability of the sacred marital union and a symbol of eternal life.

Wearing Orthodox and church jewelry is back in fashion. But this is not just an ornament, it is a symbol of faith in God, a kind of amulet, as well as a reflection of deep spirituality. ranks second in popularity after . These short words of prayer have a deep meaning for every believer.

The Church and its clergy do not require the mandatory wearing of such rings, in contrast to the pectoral cross. Wearing them or not is the choice of every Christian. However, ring "Holy Mother of God, save us" This is a great choice for a keepsake. Moreover, today jewelry companies make them in a variety of ways: from gold and silver, platinum or silver with gilding, decorated with precious stones, church script, with blackening and multi-colored enamel. After all, church decorations do not have to be simple or strict at all.

You can buy Orthodox jewelry today both in church shops and on the pages of online stores of official manufacturers. Everyone chooses what is more convenient for him. In addition, to create a line of Orthodox jewelry, jewelers always ask for blessings from the clergy, and then they consecrate them. So the statement that you can buy the consecrated ring "Theotokos save us" only in churches is nothing more than a delusion. In addition, it is never superfluous to visit the temple in order to consecrate the Orthodox decoration for yourself. During the consecration, the clergyman reads special prayers.

How to choose a ring "Holy Mother of God, save us"?

This is the most common question that is asked when choosing it in church shops and jewelry stores. As mentioned above, the church does not require the mandatory wearing of such rings, and does not impose special requirements on their appearance, so you can safely choose any with a scattering of stones, multi-colored enamel or carved details.

It should be remembered that you are choosing a symbol of your Orthodox faith, and ostentatious luxury, according to biblical laws, is a great sin. The main thing is not what the appearance will be, but what meaning you put into it. For example, if you want to protect or protect your loved one, parents, wife, husband, children or other close relatives, then ring "Holy Mother of God, save us" will be the best gift for them. When choosing, you can pay attention to two differences: rings that contain a prayer on the outside and rings in which the inscription is hidden on the inside.

Very often, buyers are interested in which of the rings is more correct. This question cannot be answered unequivocally, because it is worth choosing what is closer to the soul. It is only worth noting that earlier wedding rings in Russia contained a small prayer (more often on the inside): "Save and save" and "Blessed Mother of God save us." These short prayers differ in that one turns to Christ the Savior, and the other to the Most Holy Theotokos. Very often on the men's ring they depicted the prayer "Save and save", and on the women's "Blessed Mother of God, save us." It is also worth paying attention to the choice of material for their manufacture. In Russia, during the wedding, they acquired a silver and gold ring. Silver symbolized the feminine, and gold - the masculine. But here the choice can be made from financial possibilities, as well as depending on the properties of the materials. It is generally accepted that silver absorbs all the negative energy addressed to its owner and turns black because of this.

A bit about the history of wearing rings. Man has been wearing rings since ancient times. At first they were made of stones and bones and were evidence of a certain kind, position in society and craft or activity. became most widespread in the 19th century, when the jewelry industry gained great opportunities and made rings made of precious metals more affordable. However, over time, such traditions were lost, as faith and religion were persecuted. In this situation, wearing Orthodox rings became simply dangerous. If the cross could still hide under clothes, then there is no decoration on the finger. Today, every believer can not be afraid and not hide his views.