Artwork Description:
The account in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke tells the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah, who were the parents of John the Baptist. I have shown Elizabeth in contemplation of the prophecy given to Zechariah by the angel, Gabriel. How perplexing and amazing this news must have been to this woman of advancing age The egg which she holds protectively in her hand is obviously a symbol of her pregnancy, but it also is used traditionally as a sign of hope and resurrection. Next to her right hand is a shell, often seen as a container for water in art depicting the baptism of Christ, portrayed in the background, beneath the descending dove.