Q: Where can the earliest image of the marriage
of the Virgin be found?
A: The earliest extant
representation of Mary's betrothal with Joseph both in East and West are
dated around the fifth century. In the Western Church the oldest extant
sample can be seen in the museum of Le Puy, France (4/5 C). We are dealing
here with the relief of a sarcophagus. It represents the veiled Mary putting
her left hand in Joseph's right hand. Behind the figures of Mary and Joseph
there is the figure of an angel with halo and scroll, a reference probably to
Juno Pronuba appearing in similar representations of classical antiquity to
assist the couple and validate their union. The oldest extant example in the
Eastern tradition (5c) is to be found in Venice (columns of the tabernacle in
San Marco). The image seen here is a painting by Raphael of the Marriage of
the Virgin.
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