Diego Velazquez – Christ in the House of Martha and Mary Part 2 National Gallery UK
Part 2 National Gallery UK – Diego Velazquez - Christ in the House of Martha and Mary
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Diego Velázquez was a great admirer of biblical subjects, but depicted them as well as his other paintings in his own way, in a manner peculiar to him alone. Christ in the House of Martha and Mary was painted after long months of laborious work in 1618 and was Velázquez’ own interpretation of one of the accounts recorded in the Gospel of Luke, which tells of Jesus coming to the house of the two sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha and Mary are unmarried sisters living in the same house, which was once visited by Christ himself.
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Description of the painting Christ in the House of Martha and Mary by Diego Velázquez
Diego Velázquez was a great admirer of biblical subjects, but depicted them as well as his other paintings in his own way, in a manner peculiar to him alone. Christ in the House of Martha and Mary was painted after long months of laborious work in 1618 and was Velázquez’ own interpretation of one of the accounts recorded in the Gospel of Luke, which tells of Jesus coming to the house of the two sisters, Martha and Mary.
Martha and Mary are unmarried sisters living in the same house, which was once visited by Christ himself. At the sight of the guest, Martha hurried to prepare a feast and fuss about the house, while Mary sat down at the feet of the Son of God and began to speak to him.
In reply, Martha, tired and angry, complained to Christ about her, and received an answer she had not expected. Christ praised Mary and told her, who was so caring and industrious, that she should not think of material things, but of spiritual things. Velázquez has succeeded in conveying this moment of Martha’s discontent and Mary’s meekness in the best way possible.
In the foreground of the painting are two women, an old and a young one. The young one is holding a mortar in which she is preparing some herbs - this is Mary. The other’s face is troubled and angry, she angrily points to the young one’s work, apparently ordering her to do it. On the table is a bowl of fish - fish is known to symbolize Christ. In addition to the fish, the artist also depicts a plate of eggs and a jug, the food that Martha prepared for Christ and his companions.
On the wall of the room hangs a painting depicting precisely the scene of the meeting of Christ and his sisters. Christ is seated in an armchair, Mary is seated at his feet and Martha is standing behind him, the tension in her form betrays the fact that she is constantly thinking about something and, as the biblical story goes, cannot concentrate on what Christ is saying.
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The doorway itself acts as a window into another space, where a group gathers around a table. Within this secondary narrative, figures are seated; one man, presumably central to the gathering, is identifiable by his blue robes and beard. Two women are present, one leaning forward attentively while the other appears to be gesturing or speaking. The lighting within this inner scene is softer than that of the kitchen, creating a visual separation between the active preparation in the foreground and the contemplative moment depicted beyond.
The still life elements on the table – the fish, eggs, and earthenware – are rendered with meticulous detail, contributing to the overall sense of realism. They also function as symbolic objects; the fish, traditionally associated with Christianity, subtly introduces a religious dimension into the otherwise mundane domesticity. The arrangement is not haphazard but carefully considered, adding weight to the scene’s narrative implications.
The older womans gesture is particularly significant. Her hand points towards the figures in the doorway, seemingly directing the viewers attention and implying a commentary on their actions or conversation. This action suggests that the young woman is being reminded of something important – perhaps a moral lesson or a spiritual truth – that she may be neglecting in her everyday tasks.
The painting’s subtexts revolve around themes of contemplation versus activity, the mundane versus the sacred, and the importance of attentive listening. The artist seems to explore the tension between practical duties and spiritual awareness, suggesting that true understanding requires more than just physical presence; it demands active engagement with higher principles. The contrast in lighting and spatial arrangement reinforces this dichotomy, highlighting the different realms of experience being presented.