Portrait as Burning Bush

Tapestry, Lady with a Unicorn, late 15th century

Nicolas Froment, Mary in the Burning Bush 1476

In my interpretation of the 15th century French painting, Mary in the Burning Bush,  by Nicolas Froment, I imagine the Burning Bush as a group of geraniums and houseplants that envelope the heroine. She emerges like a Venus from the toys and string of colored lights, but she is also entangled. Foliage, in the tamed, domesticated form of houseplants and hanging tapestry, surround her on all sides. But it is a celebration! There are balloons, and it is all fun and games to the little boy who stands on a chair to keep reaching for her, wanting to engage her in his game. She looks at the viewer and may not notice the child – she may be engaged in her own private world. The penned-in unicorn in the darkened background hints at her sexual power.