Marriage of the Virgin LUCA GIORDANO c. 1690

Luca Giordano was an Italian Baroque painter, whose life span was from 1634-1705; he studied under Pietro da Cortona and Jusepe de Ribera.

This image has experienced some deterioration, but we left it as is, only deepening the color as it is quite muted and misty.

In the time of Our Lady and St. Joseph, Jewish "betrothal" or marriage had two parts: the ceremony and the actual time when the couple began their life together. The time between the first and the second was usually several months.  Modernists like to compare Our Lady to unwed mothers, to their shame. But Mary was already betrothed or married at the time of the Annunciation, that is the ceremonial aspect had already transpired. Otherwise, how could Joseph in his momentary bewilderment consider "divorcing" her under Jewish custom? Mary had always wanted to dedicate perpetual virginity to God, but she consented to the ceremonial betrothal under obedience, trusting in the will of her heavenly Father.




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