diameter: 118 cm
Uffizi, Florence
After the conquest of the Americas, countries such as Mexico and Peru made a significant artistic contribution of images dedicated to Mary. Like her European counterparts, these images often depicted the Holy Virgin as the Black Madonna, considered to be miraculous and powerful.
The Adoration of the Child
Francesco Botticini, 1482
Tempera on wood, diameter: 123 cm
Pitti Palace Gallery, Florence
Within the new continent, the Virgin Mary often assumed the role of the former regional mother goddess, and became the patron of the particular region or of an entirely new country. Additional symbols, previously representing the native divinities, were then incorporated into the Marian iconography.
The Virgin of the Rocks
Leonardo da Vinci, 1483
Oil on canvas, 199 × 122 cm
The Louvre, Paris
Consequently, the new populations perceived the Virgin Mary as the Christian Mother of God, and, at the same time, as the indigenous Mother God of the earlier, conquered civilizations. All indications show that the role of the Madonna is still evolving.
The Birth of Venus
Sandro Botticelli, 1484-1486
Tempera on canvas, 172.5 × 278.5 cm
Uffizi, Florence
The lore, the origins, the dogma, the myths and the expanding array of symbols and archetypes continue to surround the enigmatic persona of the Virgin Mary. As a prototype of spirituality and perfection in womanhood, the Madonna looms larger than life.
The Madonna and Child with Saints John the Baptist, Victor, Bernard, and Zenobius
Filippino Lippi, 1486
Tempera on wood, 355 × 255 cm
Uffizi, Florence
This book offers the reader some of the best art that has been produced through the centuries to celebrate Mary.
The works of art were created by many different individuals who tried to convey and explain, from their different points of view and using the visual language available to them, the depth of the feelings and convictions of their cultures in respect of this Great Mother.
The Madonna of the Pomegranate
Sandro Botticelli, 1487
Tempera on wood, diameter: 143.5 cm
Uffizi, Florence
The earliest images of Mary were probably introduced into early Christian iconography during the second and third centuries. This was a time in human history when society was committed to relieving women of their remaining rights and powers; vestiges of the old matriarchal rights were banned from the prevalent patriarchal order.
The Annunciation
Sandro Botticelli, 1489
Tempera on wood, 150 × 156 cm
Uffizi, Florence
The officially accepted Gospels of the New Testament were written by males for a patriarchal social system, and very few references about the Madonna were made in these texts. Neither Mary nor her son, Jesus, wrote any material, and the first official Gospel, believed to be written by Mark, was completed in its unedited version in 66.
The Madonna of the Caves
Andrea Mantegna, 1489-1490
Tempera on wood, 29 × 21.5 cm
Uffizi, Florence
Apparently the second official version of the Gospels was written by Luke in 80, shortly followed by Matthew’s version. It is possible, however, that John’s version was in fact the earliest one, at around 37, since it includes more details, which have led many to believe that perhaps this version may be closer to the real occurrences of the events in the lives of Mary and her son, Jesus.
The Madonna and Child with Two Angels
Hans Memling, 1490-1491
Oil on wood, 57 × 42 cm
Uffizi, Florence
These accounts, primarily from the story of Jesus, mentioned his mother on very rare occasions, and were not nearly enough to satisfy the people, who, in spite of the patriarchal trivializing of women, desperately desired a divine female figure to worship and venerate.
The Visitation
Domenico Ghirlandaio, 1491
Oil on wood, 172 × 167 cm
The Louvre, Paris
The yearning for the powerful but gentle Great Mother could not be silenced, and the worship of the goddesses from the old religions, such as Isis, Cybele, Demeter, Aphrodite and Athena continued. The devotion to Isis was, perhaps, the most widespread, posing a formidable threat to the fledgling Christian cult.
The Virgin and Child Accompanied by Two Angels, Saint Rose and Saint Catherine
Perugino, c.1492
Oil on wood, diameter: 148 cm
The Louvre, Paris
The new Christian religion needed its own Great Mother, and that Mother manifested herself first in the early interpretations of the Holy Ghost as female, and of Sophia as the Wisdom of God. These powerful female archetypes of the new predominantly patriarchal religion were soon overshadowed by the inclusion of Mary, the mother of Christ.
Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple
Nicolas Dipre, c.1500
Painting
