Mary’s Child

About This Work

This luminous artwork portrays a serene maiden resting in a sunlit forest, her golden hair cascading across her shoulder as she sleeps peacefully beneath tall trees. Dressed in a flowing gown of green and red, adorned with blossoms, she radiates grace and tranquility. At her side, a red fox lies curled in repose, its russet fur glowing warmly against the carpet of wildflowers and grass. The surrounding woodland, with its dappled light and soft greenery, creates an atmosphere of enchantment and quiet wonder.

Blending myth, folklore, and romantic naturalism, this painting evokes timeless tales of maidens, spirits, and guardian animals in the wilderness. Perfect for admirers of fairy tales, fantasy art, and nature-inspired beauty, this piece celebrates the harmony between humanity, animals, and the forest itself.

The tale of “Mary’s Child” is one of the stories collected by the Brothers Grimm. It’s unusual among their fairy tales in how it has a religious theme, However, there are older versions where, rather than the Virgin Mary, the matron is a godmother, fairy queen, even Morgan la Fae

The Story

A poor woodcutter cannot feed his daughter, so the Virgin Mary comes and offers to take the girl with her to heaven. In Mary’s kingdom, the girl lives surrounded by beauty and angels, and she is given the keys to thirteen doors. Twelve she is allowed to open, but the thirteenth—leading to the Throne of Heaven—is forbidden.

The girl, however, eventually disobeys. She opens the thirteenth door, sees the Holy Trinity seated in glory, and is struck with awe. Her finger is stained gold which she cannot wash away. Out of fear, she denies having opened the door when Mary asks. Because of her disobedience and lies, Mary casts her out of heaven, rendering her mute and setting her to wander the earth.

She awakes in the forest unable to speak. There she lives for some time before meeting the king who is out hunting. Eventually, they marry. She has three children, but each time a child is born, Mary appears and demands she confess her sin of opening the forbidden door. Each time the queen denies it, and Mary takes away one of her children. The court accuses her of killing her own children, and, having no voice to defend herself, she is sentenced to be burned at the stake.

As she is about to be executed, the queen finally breaks down and admits her disobedience and her lies. The moment she confesses, her children are restored to her, her speech returns, and she is forgiven. Mary herself appears, blessing her for finally telling the truth.

From the Artist

Originally, this work was planned on just being a sleeping elf woman in the forest, but when I read the story, I decided to change my plan a bit an make it an illustration for the fairy tale…the moment just before the woman awakens in the forest. A bit unusual for this one, I used a gold metallic oil pastel on her finger. I added the fox just for fun.

Thanks for looking!
Daniel Eskridge ( FineArtByDaniel.com )