Fine Art

Agnus Dei — History & Facts

A young lamb lies on a gray ledge against a dark background, its feet bound together. The Museo del Prado identifies it as a merino lamb between eight and twelve months old, lying in an unmistakably sacrificial pose. The lamb stands for Christ, the Lamb of God, and the Prado's guide notes that it is quiet and calm, just as Jesus was before his death. Francisco de Zurbarán painted other versions with small variations, three of them dated 1631, 1632 and 1639, which the Prado says shows that such images were well received, probably by private clients. This version, painted between 1635 and 1640, belonged to the marqueses del Socorro, and the Prado bought it at auction in Madrid in 1986.

It is in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.

More Artworks by Francisco de Zurbarán

Saint Rufina, painted by Francisco de Zurbarán, depicts the martyr standing with a clay jug.

Saint Rufina

Francisco de Zurbarán

Saint Bonaventure's Body Lying in State by Francisco de Zurbarán depicts the saint's serene funeral surrounded by mourners.

Saint Bonaventure's Body Lying in State

Francisco de Zurbarán

A tied lamb with creamy wool lies on a dark table against a deep brown-black background, its body softly blending into shadow.

The Lamb of God

Francisco de Zurbarán

Adoration of the Magi by Francisco de Zurbarán depicting the Virgin Mary with the Christ Child and the three Magi.

Adoration of the Magi

Francisco de Zurbarán

A muscular man with a yellow cloth raises a club above his head while another nude man crouches low in a rocky, shadowed landscape.

Hercules defeats King Geryon

Francisco de Zurbarán

A young woman wearing a flower crown and green cloak holds forceps with a tooth in one hand and a palm branch in the other against a dark background.

Saint Apollonia

Francisco de Zurbarán

A life-sized figure of Christ on the cross with a kneeling male donor in dark robe at the lower left against a dark background.

The Crucified Christ with a Donor

Francisco de Zurbarán

A still life featuring lemons, oranges, and a rose arranged on a table.

Still Life with Lemons, Oranges and a Rose

Francisco de Zurbarán

Hercules subdues the Cretan Bull in a dramatic Baroque scene.

Hercules and the Cretan Bull

Francisco de Zurbarán

Seven monks in white habits sit at a long table with bread and terracotta bowls, while two figures stand at the right end, one extending a plate.

Saint Hugh in the Carthusian Refectory

Francisco de Zurbarán

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More Religious Art

A triptych showing a lush garden with nude figures and animals on the left, a vibrant central panel of nude humans and fantastical creatures, and a dark, fiery hellscape with tortured figures on the right.

The Garden of Earthly Delights

Hieronymus Bosch

Father embraces his son in an etching by Rembrandt van Rijn

The Return of the Prodigal Son

Rembrandt van Rijn

A young woman in a red dress and blue mantle sits on a rock with two children, one holding a small bird, set against a landscape of hills and trees.

Madonna of the Goldfinch

Raphael

Rembrandt's 'The Crucifixion' depicts a dramatic moment in a religious context.

The Crucifixion

Rembrandt van Rijn

Rubens' depiction of Christ on the Cross with Mary, Mary Magdalene, and St John in a moment of profound grief.

Christ on the Cross with Maria, Mary Magdalene and St John

Peter Paul Rubens

A muscular female figure in an orange robe twists her body holding a massive open book above her head, with a young attendant seated behind her.

Libyan Sibyl

Michelangelo

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