How do you describe purity? How do you depicted purity? A couple of weeks ago I was commissioned to design an image that screamed purity in all it forms. The picture was to be an inspiration and encouragement to the person that was receiving the gift. The message was to never stop reaching for purity and that there is constant grow involved in a person that chooses to live a pure purpose drive life dedicated to God.
A lady in white is a common sign for purity in both Greek and Mediaeval art work. In this piece I was asked to use the White Lady of Rohan dress from “The Lord of the Rings Return of the King”.
In the maiden’s hair you can see a net of pearls according to some source the pearl means purity or virtue. Underneath the pearls you will find the celtic knot of the Trinity and three white roses, these also has hundreds of meanings I chose them to show that we can find purity in the Father, Son, Holy Spirit. The three white roses show that the Trinity is one like in the knot but is also three separate people. Woven into the braid are three stones two white and one red. The two white stone symbolize the purity if the body while the red stone represents purity of the mind and emotions.
Sense ancient times Asian cultures have held the Lotus as a symbol of purity. The lotus shows different stages of purity depending on how it is depicted. A white lotus shows the purity of body and red shows the purity of mind and heart. A blooming lotus symbolizes the purity that the person has achieved, while a closed lotus illustrates the potential that the person has and growth that is still in progress. The ripples in the water symbolize that if someone is willing to walk pure and righteous for the Lord they will make a difference in their surroundings. 
In the background we can see that white birch create a path way lining the water edge and show the path the maiden has chosen to take. In Celtic lore white birch symbolize growth, strength, loyalty, purity, and renewal.
The white stag is a timeless symbol showing up in cultures all around the world with a hundreds of different meanings. In a mediaeval lore knights and kings are always chasing or hunting a white stag but can never reach it. The white stag is a symbol of divine purity something we can never achieve as humans, but we should alway strive to reach and never give up the chase.
The reason I painted the maiden in water is because water is constantly changing and being renewed by rain or other sources. Water also washes away the dirt from are bodies and has been used Biblical as sign of washing away sins and becoming a new creation when Christ is Lord of are lives.
While that is it! I hope you enjoyed the description of the symbolism and I hope you have taken something away that you did not know before. If you did please comment and let me know what it was and if you have any deeper questions about this piece please don’t hesitate to ask them. Thanks for reading! Stand Strong my friends.
Garret
A warrior of the Living God
