The Virgin Mary Artworks, Essay Example

Art and architecture have played a pivotal role in passing religious beliefs from one generation to the next. They offer a medium through which artists express their feelings, current events (at a given time in history), and culture and religion. Art and architecture have proved crucial in understanding various perspectives about the Virgin Mary. The theme of the Virgin Mary is vital to the collection since many misconceptions about her exist today. But she remains essential in the Christian faith, especially among Catholics who believe she intercedes for them. People who lived in the Renaissance era tried to show that they were different from their Medieval predecessors by imitating (reawakening) Ancient art and architecture in their castings of the Virgin Mary. Artists cast the selected artworks during the renaissance to portray the Virgin Mary as divine, beautiful, emotional, caring, and peaceful.

The Roettgen Pietà

The Roettgen Pietà shows Mary carrying dead Jesus with wounded hands and feet. The image emphasizes the physical suffering and death of Jesus Christ and how his mother felt about it. The painted wood curving reflects the beginning of the German Late Gothic Style as the figure’s lyrical naturalism depicts. The image invokes horror and disgust, eliciting an emotional response in the audience as Gothic art aimed. The Roettgen Pietà’s message is that Christ succumbed to the horrific crucifixion ordeal. But a detailed look shows that his skin is taut around his ribs, suggesting that he endured suffering and hunger. The intended audience is Christians who are encouraged to embrace suffering and difficulties based on the view that Jesus himself suffered hunger, crucifixion, and death.

I selected this artwork because it illustrates the suffering of Christ, which Christians share through prayer and fasting to be genuinely sorry for the sins that made Jesus die on the cross. The image also deviates from the Medieval representations that focused on the divine Jesus. The image also shows Mary, devastated by her son’s death, sharply contrasting with the understanding that Mary knew about Jesus’s death and would be at peace knowing that he would rise from the dead. But Roettgen Pietà shows that Mary, like all human beings, is devastated by the death of their loved ones.

Altarpiece of the Crucifixion, Annunciation, and Visitation (Dijon Altarpiece, closed, left-wing)

The altarpiece depicts perspectives about the Virgin Mary during the Netherlandish Renaissance. It shows the visitation, annunciation, and crucifixion of Jesus. The artwork illustrates St. Luke’s Gospel when the birth of Jesus was announced and the visitation. But Broederlam altered the biblical narrative, incorporating new symbols in the composition. Hence, the artists employed Byzantine art as shown in the golden background, symbolizing paradise where the soul is at peace. Broederlam’s preoccupation inspired the artwork with biblical art and Italian pre-renaissance art (Trecento). I selected this art because it portrays how God set the salvation of humanity in motion. It also reflects the international gothic style due to skillful light manipulations used. The visitation scene shows Mary reading something like a Bible when the angel greeted her. The architectural design of the building is also appealing and reflects the international gothic style. The building has a dome that reflects the unique architecture during the Netherlandish renaissance. The audience is Christians since the image reinforces biblical teachings about the annunciation, birth, and presentation of Jesus in the temple.

Melun Diptych: right panel: Virgin & Child

The painting shows Madonna holding a male child. The child’s mother, Virgin Mary, is depicted seated and held by angels. Her baby faces the Chevalier’s direction, suggesting that God answered baby Jesus’s prayer for heavenly mercy. An in-depth view of the painting reveals that the Madonna resembles Agnes Sorel, who was the beautiful and powerful concubine for Charles VII. It could also suggest that the painting was a gift Etienne gave Sorel based on a vow made when she died. This painting represents the eighteenth century and focuses on beauty, as shown by Madonna’s slim tummy, stylish haircut, and a highly-stylish robe. She also wears a crown on her head, indicating a queen. Thus, Fouquet portrayed a French queen and Baby Jesus, depicting devotion to Chevalier during the French renaissance.

But the left breast is depicted as large, lively, and impeccably sphere-shaped, with no suggestion that baby Jesus is shortly going to feed from the breast. I selected this image due to the controversial representation of Mary. Fouquet deliberately crafted a sensual and inappropriate image of Mary. This portrait would be scandalous to use a holy image inside churches. Thus, it would also be blasphemous to portray a decease royal mistress as Virgin Mary. Still, Baby Jesus is unclothed, adding to the scandalous depictions the artist adopted. Consequently, the target audience is other churches opposed to Catholic practices, especially adoration of Mary.

Small Cowper Madonna

The Small Cowper Madonna shows Mary and Baby Jesus. The background depicts the 1500s Italian countryside, indicating that Rafael made the painting during the High Italian Renaissance. The seated Madonna has a bright red dress, with blond hair and fair skin. The impressive structure on the left seems like a Catholic Church. Rafael integrated structural elements that depict catholic architecture. The soft landscape suggests the influence of Leonardo on Rafael’s artwork. Leonardo de Vinci often depicted the Holy Family in his paintings. The seated Mary and baby Jesus’s image was famous in 15th century Florence. These representations were small because they could fit in small altars in churches and homes. I selected this image because it depicts the divine nature of the Holy family. Besides that, the divine representation of Mary makes the picture ideal for devotional use inside churches. The background makes the painting tranquil, suggesting the peaceful life in the countryside in 15^th century Italy. The light of the skin is balanced with the light of the sky behind them. This illumination suggests the Holy family’s connection to heaven through divinity. Mary and the infant Jesus are gazing in the same direction, suggestively watching over Christians.

Madonna with the Long Neck det: Madonna

The image shows Mary holding baby Jesus. Besides, she has a very long neck, fingers, and shoulders. These elongated body parts are reminiscent of Mannerism. Still, the artist depicted Mary’s divinity, royalty, and purity using the blue robe. Baby Jesus appears already dead, making the painting suitable for a funerary chapel. Mary’s long neck represents the ivory towers and columns that characterized the church’s architectural design. Parmigianino cast the orthodox church using the Mannerist style, suggesting that the audience are Orthodox believers, especially in the 16^th century. I selected the painting because it is based on a text from medieval hymns to the Virgin. The extended compositions depict the powerful ivory pillars and columns supporting God’s church. Again, Mary points at her breasts with the long right fingers, demonstrating her innate relationship with her baby Jesus. Also, six Angels cluster in the space on her right, adoring the mother and the child. This adoration demonstrates that the audience is Catholics who adore the Virgin Mary and the crucified Jesus. The angels adore the baby and his mother, as shown in the image. The message here is that Christians should adore Mary and Jesus since the angels did the same.

In brief, the selected pieces demonstrate religious renaissance throughout Europe and America. The Roettgen Pietà, Dijon Altarpiece, Melun Diptych, Small Cowper Madonna, and Madonna with the Long Neck det show that the Virgin Mary is divine, beautiful, emotional, caring, and peaceful. They show various styles, including Mannerism, catholic architecture, Gothic style, and international Gothic style. More importantly, the artists depicted the birth, suffering, crucifixion of Jesus. The general audience is Christians, but individual artists appealed to respective churches. Some artists stick to the decent representation of the Virgin Mary, but others use blasphemous casts that make the images unsuitable for use inside churches. The images are relevant to the themes and demonstrate the artiste’s compositions. Therefore, they represent beliefs about Jesus’s birth, suffering, and crucifixion but emphasize the perceived role of the Virgin Mary in the church during the renaissance.