This is an image of the descent of the Holy Ghost on Our Lady and the apostles at Pentecost, by Spanish Baroque-era painter, Fra Juan Maino.
In the painting, the Blessed Mother, the apostles, and a holy woman are gathered together. The Holy Ghost, surrounded by light, hovers in the air above them in the form of a large white dove. Tiny flames rest in the air above their heads.
Our Lady sits in the center of the painting. She has white skin. She wears a pink dress and a large blue cloak. The cloak covers part of Mary’s head. The Blessed Mother gazes up at the Holy Ghost and stretches both her hands out.
The other holy woman, probably Mary Magdalene, kneels in front of Our Lady. This woman has pale skin and long brown hair. She folds her hands and looks up at the Holy Ghost.
The apostles are gathered around the two women in varying postures. Saint Peter, depicted with gray hair and wearing a blue robe and a yellow cloak, sits on the ground at the left side of the painting's foreground. St. Peter's silver key, symbolizing the human authority of the Church, lies on the ground as the first pope receives the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit. Saint Luke the Evangelist sits recording the event, sitting at the right side of the painting's foreground, writing with a quill in a large open book.
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Isabella Childs
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