St. Justa and St. Rufina — History & Facts
Two women stand side by side, each holding one side of a tall, slender model of a tower that rises almost to the top edge of the painting. The woman on the left gazes outward, her face softly illuminated, while the woman on the right turns her head slightly upward, her expression more contemplative. Both figures are dressed in flowing garments with rich folds, the left figure in a golden ochre cloak with a pink sash, and the right in a deep red drapery over her dark dress.
Each woman holds a palm frond, one in her right hand and the other in her left, their arms crossing gently in front of the tower. At their feet lie broken pottery vessels, scattered on the ground and painted in pale yellow tones against the shadowed floor. The background is a textured, atmospheric blue-grey, with loose, visible brushwork that gives a sense of depth and movement but provides no specific setting.
Light falls from the left, highlighting the faces, hands, and drapery, while the lower parts of the scene remain in shadow. The brushwork is energetic and sketch-like, especially in the clothing and background, where broad strokes and visible texture create a sense of immediacy. The composition is vertically oriented, with the tower forming a strong central axis and the two figures symmetrically arranged on either side.
Small details, such as the delicate fingers grasping the tower and the subtle highlights on the pottery, reveal the artist's attention to gesture and material. The title identifies the women as St. Justa and St. Rufina, and the artist as Bartolomé Estebán Murillo.
Sources: National Museum of Western Art, record P.1969-0003 · Wikidata Q23948862 · Image source (Wikimedia Commons)
More Artworks by Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

Virgin and Child in Glory
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

Vision of St Antony of Padua
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

Penitent Magdalene
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

The Apparition of the Virgin to Saint Bernard
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

The Martyrdom of St. Andrew
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

Madonna and Child
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

The Immaculate Conception
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

The Virgin, from The Immaculate Conception
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

The Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo

Murillo-inmaculada-catedral sevilla
Bartolomé Estebán Murillo






