In the gospel of Luke we read that Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem. While there, the family was approached by an old man named Simeon who prophesied of the divine origins and ultimate destiny of the child.

In Luke 2:35 we read Simeon's final comment, directed to Mary:

"Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

This prophecy, according to Christian tradition, refers to the grief and pain that Mary would feel as a witness to the suffering and death of her son. When the spear of the soldier pierced the side of Christ, an invisible but very real "sword" pierced the soul of his devoted mother.

Humble, mysterious, and moving, very little is known about this small work of art. We are left to wonder what motivated Titian to paint it. Who would have seen it? What impact would it have?

In Titian's late style, the painting's quiet colors applied with a soft, unblended brush heighten the tenderness of the scene. The anonymity of the Virgin adds to her humble character.

The knowledge of what is to come gives the scene a bittersweet flavour. 

Images of the Virgin and Child had a religious as well as an artistic function. With the words of Ave Maria ringing in your ears, an image like this could help you pray for the intercession of the Virgin on your behalf,

"now, and at the hour of our death."

For an in-person experience with this work and other paintings in Titian's late style, see the National Gallery's companion exhibition, "Passion: Selected Works by Titian in the Artist's Final Years." The works in that exhibit are reproduced in the gallery below for your convenience. Visit our website for opening dates and times.