Magnificat
by JOUVENET, Jean-Baptiste, Oil on canvas
The Magnificat (Latin for “[My soul] magnifies [the Lord]”) is a canticle, also known as the Song of Mary. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn. Its name comes from the incipit of the Latin version of the canticle’s text. The most famous representation of the Magnificat in painting is Botticelli’s Madonna of the Magnificat in the Uffizi, Florence.
Suggested listening (streaming mp3, 33 minutes):
Johann Sebastian Bach: Magnificat in D major, BWV 243