Birth of the Virgin Mary (El nacimiento de la Virgen María)

The scene, divided into three sections, focuses on a main group of figures within the composition: the women who care for the newborn Mary. A ray of light beams down on her from the emblem that represents her depicted above, which is held by two small angels that float on a mass of clouds. The light reinforces the importance of the main figures, also emphasised by a brighter, more vivid colour scheme: their clothing is executed predominantly in yellows and blues. Next to the group of women and set slightly further back from the foreground we can see Saint Joachim leaning on a staff and clothed in a red ochre cloak. Behind him is another figure shown at half-length in the lower section of the composition.

The scene takes place under a kind of shelter. On the left and in the open air there is a group of men carrying rods who seem to be chatting or watching over their animals, unaware of the main event taking place in the painting. This section was in a very bad state of conservation until it underwent restoration work in 1978-79.

On the right we can see another group of figures: Saint Anne on her bed accompanied by the women who attend to her needs. The original paintwork by Goya was lost in its entirety from this section, and the current work was carried out by the Buffet brothers.

See Revelation to Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. for a history of the complete set of works housed in this church.