Sacrifice (2026) Original Acrylic Painting by Marja Brown

SACRIFICE — where the journey begins
Maria Magdalena Series — Original Painting by Marja Brown
There are some paintings that feel imagined… and others that feel remembered.
Sacrifice arrived slowly, quietly, over many months in my Dorset studio as part of the Maria Magdalena Series — a deeply personal body of work exploring surrender, transformation, illumination and love.

This painting is not about punishment or loss.
For me, sacrifice is about conscious devotion — the sacred moment where we place something on the altar of our own becoming in order to grow spiritually, emotionally, and creatively.
The figure of Maria Magdalena stands beneath the Cross in stillness rather than despair. She witnesses. She endures. She remains present.
The painting was created through many layers of acrylic, texture, mark-making and gold leaf, applied intuitively over time. I never forced the work. I would paint, step back, listen, soften, remove, rebuild. The gold leaf became symbolic of divine presence woven through human surrender.

This series carries particular meaning for me personally. In 1946, my father gave me the name Maria Magdalena — long before she was widely recognised as a close companion of Jesus or understood by many as a highly initiated spiritual figure within the Essene tradition. That name has quietly accompanied me all my life, and this series became my response to it.

Sacrifice is the first painting in the series and, in many ways, the doorway into the journey.
Original Artwork Details
Original mixed media painting on canvas
Acrylic, texture and gold leaf
Size: 50 x 50 x 2 cm
Framed in a gold tray frame
Signed on the front
Certificate of Authenticity included
Ready to hang

Maria Magdalena Series — Collector Opportunity
The complete original Maria Magdalena Series of four paintings is currently available as a collector set.
Complete Original Series
£4000 for all four original paintings
The series consists of:
Sacrifice
Ascension
Illumination
Love
Together, the four works form a continuous visual and spiritual journey.

Embellished Canvas Prints Available
Hand-embellished canvas prints are also available individually.
Each embellished print is personally worked back into by hand by Marja Brown using texture, colour enhancement and gold leaf details, making every piece unique.
Available Sizes
50 x 50 cm embellished canvas print — £450
70 x 70 cm embellished canvas print — £750
Printed on block canvas
Unframed
Ready to hang

Why Collectors Connect With This Work
Collectors are often drawn to the quiet emotional presence within this series. The paintings are spiritual without being prescriptive, contemporary yet timeless, and designed to bring a sense of contemplation and stillness into a space.
The rich purple and gold palette allows Sacrifice to work beautifully in both modern and traditional interiors, while the layered surface and gold leaf create changing moments of light throughout the day.

Painted from presence. Held in light. Offered in trust.

Materials used:

acrylic on canvas

Details:

• Acrylic painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 54 x 54 x 4cm (framed)
• Framed and ready to hang
• Signed on the front
• Style: Unspecified
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative