Teeteto

Virgin and Child (1663), by Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665). ‘La Sirana’ had quite a short career (around a decade) but produced at least 205 paintings. She is a symbol of strength, producing high-quality art in a completely male-dominated art world. She was highly cherished by many wealthy clients, who didn’t spare money to buy her pieces of art. Elisabetta died at 27, and never married or conceived a child. Despite her young age, she was known for painting strong women (just like her), including Judith, Timoclea, and Portia. Perhaps, the strongest woman she ever painted was a mother, the mother of Jesus, who (according to Christians, including myself) was brought to this world to save humanity. In this painting, we can see Mary gazing at her child, as mothers always do, and portrayed as a simple, yet real mother. I dedicate this post to my dear mother @sandracamarota