The Girlhood of Mary Virgin

Dante Gabriel Rossetti painted The Girlhood of Mary Virgin in 1849, his first completed oil painting and the first work to bear the initials PRB (Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood). The painting depicts the young Mary embroidering a lily under the guidance of her mother St Anne, with rich symbolic details including books, a vine, and a lamp. It was exhibited at the Free Exhibition in Hyde Park Corner before the Pre-Raphaelite style became known.

The painting's bright, clear colors, meticulous detail, and symbolic program represent the founding principles of the Pre-Raphaelite movement. Rossetti's departure from academic convention in favor of hard-edged detail and brilliant color established the visual language of the Brotherhood.