“And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and lo, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2
There is a tradition in the Church that the burning bush which Moses witnessed, prefigures the virgin birth of Jesus. Mary gave birth to Jesus without the loss of her virginity, just as the bush burns but is not consumed.
Modern interpretations tend to overlook the text that states “an angel of the lord appeared to him in a flame of fire.” I have depicted the angel here with several allusion to the Virgin Mary. The three stars on her mantle are a traditional symbol of her perpetual virginity and her robe is decorated with a flour de lys pattern, representing her purity.
The bush is inspired by the legend of the white rose which was said to have blushed pink at the Annunciation.
Unsigned prints, are fulfilled through a partnership with Fine Art America, and are available HERE.