Ever wonder about all those symbolic things in Roman Catholic icon paintings? Here is a nice article that explains some of them.

Of the lilies it says “Though there are some differences in interpretation, the stem of the lily is thought to symbolize Mary’s religiously faithful mind, the petals her purity and virginity, the scent of the flower her divinity, and the leaves her humility.”

A Comparison of Two Madonna Paintings by Bouguereau

William Bouguereau’s “Virgin of the Lilies” versus “Madonna of the Roses”  By Kara Lysandra Ross | January 22, 2014