Although not his best known work, Murillo’s Madonna and Child showcases all his
characteristic style. Despite being an earlier work, the piece’s soft lines and
realistic hues create his intended atmosphere flawlessly. Mary, with eyes
modestly cast down and face turned to her Divine Son, naturally the viewer’s
attention to Christ. She resembles no heavenly queen, but merely a poor mother
of a tiny child. The child Jesus, portrayed as a normal child with no hint of
divinity except his faintly glowing halo, looks as sweet and simple as the little
ones he loves so dearly. Instead of divine wisdom, his round face suggests only
pure innocence.
““Amen, I say to you, unless you turn
and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 18:3
