Virgin Mary and Child, Psalm 131:2 Wall Art
Psalm 131:2 · King James Version Free US shipping
“My soul is even as a weaned child”
Psalm 131:2
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- Free US shipping
- Printed in the USA
- 30-day returns
- King James text, checked
- 8
- words of Scripture
- 1
- print from Psalm 131
- $29
- smallest print
- 2–5
- days to dispatch
The print
A giclée print on thick archival matte paper of at least 200gsm. The verse is set into the painting in the King James Version, with a blank paper margin that makes framing easy. Sold without a frame.
Shipping
Printed to order and shipped within 2 to 5 business days, from a print studio in the United States. Shipping is free on every order.
Returns
Returns accepted within 30 days of delivery.
Digital download
Seven high-resolution files covering every common frame ratio, 4096 × 6144 px, good for printing up to A1. Nothing is shipped.
About this print
Virgin Mary, Psalm 131:2
Mother and child with their faces pressed together, both at rest: a Madonna of tenderness, paired with the shortest and gentlest psalm about trusting God.
A Madonna of tenderness
Mary holds the Child high against her shoulder, one hand under him and one at his back, and bends her face to his. Her eyes are closed. The little boy, curly-haired and barefoot in a loose white gown, wraps an arm around her neck and nestles his cheek against hers. Both wear gold halos, hers large and his smaller, overlapping where their heads meet.
Her mantle is a deep slate blue edged with a gold band, over a white veil and a rust-red dress, painted in broad washes that let the paper show through. The pose follows one of the oldest types of Marian image, known in Greek as Eleousa, the Virgin of Tenderness, familiar from icons such as Our Lady of Vladimir. Above the pair: “My soul is even as a weaned child”, with Psalm 131:2.
What is a “weaned child” in Psalm 131?
Psalm 131 has only three verses and is one of the Songs of Degrees, the short psalms pilgrims sang on the way up to Jerusalem. It is headed as David's. In the first verse the singer says his heart is not proud and he does not busy himself with things too great for him. The second verse, in the King James Version, reads: “Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child.”
The image is precise. In ancient Israel children were nursed for two or three years; Genesis records a feast on the day Isaac was weaned. A nursing baby comes to its mother restless and demanding. A weaned child climbs into her lap simply to be close, no longer asking for anything. That is the peace the psalmist describes: a soul that rests in God for who he is rather than for what it can get.
Pairing the verse with Mary and Jesus reverses the roles in a lovely way. The Child in the painting is the Son of God, yet he rests on his mother exactly as the psalm describes, and she in turn is the model of a soul quieted before God.
A gift for a new mother
This print is chosen for baby showers, christenings and nurseries, where the sleeping calm of the painting fits the room. It speaks just as directly to a mother or grandmother who needs a moment of stillness, and it belongs in a Catholic home next to a rocking chair or above a crib.
Hang them together
Complete the wall
Hang three together and save 25% on your prints.
