Most Highly Favored
IN THIS SHOW
IMAGE GALLERY
CALENDAR
Most Highly Favored:
The Life of the Virgin Mary
It would be impossible to overstate the influence that the Virgin Mary has had upon Western culture. For nearly two thousand years Mary has been the most often used name for girls. There are literally dozens of variants for her name found all around the world. Mary is the English form of Maria, which has its origins in the Hebrew name, Miriam. Even in predominately Muslim speaking countries, Maryam (Arabic) is a very popular name due to the respect given to the mother of Jesus. Literally hundreds of churches, colleges, universities, and seminaries have chosen “Saint Mary’s” as the name of their institution. Without a doubt she has been portrayed more than any woman in western art and music. It would be impossible to count all of the “Madonna and Child” paintings. How many times have the Magnificat and Stabat Mater texts have been set to music over the centuries?
Mary is recognized by all Christians as the mother of Jesus, but devotion and admiration for her has been mostly within the Catholic and Orthodox traditions. While her role in the nativity and birth of Jesus is recalled each December at Christmas, Protestants hear little about her the rest of the year. Many can identify with the author, Kathleen Norris, when she wrote about her upbringing; “We dragged Mary out at Christmas…and…packed her safely in the crèche box for the rest of the year.” For too long she has been the victim of a Protestant conspiracy of silence, but recently there has been a growing interest in the person of Mary and the rightful place she played in the life of Jesus and the life of the church. This exhibition has been curated to help the viewer learn and explore more about this Most Highly Favored Lady.
The title of the exhibition, drawn from the angel Gabriel’s greeting to Mary in Luke 1:28 and the Basque hymn, Most Highly Favored Lady, sets the tone of the show. Most Highly Favored: the Life of the Virgin Mary reflects the varied understandings of Mary by artists rendered in the visual vocabulary of their times and places. The show is broken into three sections: Mary as Madonna, Mary in the Bible, and Mary around the World, each depicting in visual terms an important aspect of the life of Mary.
Most Highly Favored includes forty paintings, sculptures and objects of devotion by artists from over twenty countries. The art comes from such places as Greece, Sweden, Japan, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, Africa, the Balkans, Central and South America, and the United States. This exhibition includes works by internationally known printmakers such as Albrecht Dürer, Anders Zorn and Annibile Carracci. Some of the works are by contemporary artists such as Bruce Herman and Nancy Goes who see Mary as still having relevance in our time. Totally unknown artists, calligraphers and craftspeople, who have spent countless hours crafting beautiful objects that help us recall the life of the Virgin Mary, are also included in the show. The art in Most Highly Favored covers a wide range of media: Italian Renaissance style paintings, medieval and modern woodcuts, delicate etchings, along with classically sculpted statues, Byzantine inspired icons and illuminated manuscripts from Europe and the Middle East. All of these come together to offer a visual feast that inspires and communicates not only how the life of Mary has influenced the church, but also how her life still lives on in cultures around the globe.
This show contains:
Cost of rental is $400 per month (plus shipping). There is a two-month minimum. With the rental of two months the third month is free.
"I have to say that the feedback to this collection was quite strong. People were very impressed, really enjoyed it, and several people told me they found it very moving. I did. So that was a win! Thanks so much for doing what you do. Your contribution both to the church and the world at large, with all that you’ve collected and shared over the decades as well as everything else you’ve done has been such a profound blessing. "
-- Peace, Dwight
Worship Arts Director
St Andrew's | Mt Pleasant SC
"We went to visit the Mary show last week. It was a quiet moment in a very busy time for us.
I loved the diversity of the show -- across time and place, across art forms (even cardboard and house paint!), and across the story of Mary -- from annunciation to Madonna and child to Pentecost.
As a Protestant we don't put much focus on Mary. However, in looking at the show you have put together, I see her in a new light. I see the young girl, the grieving mother, the leader of the earliest church. I see another woman, mother, and believer, just like me. Perhaps our Protestant tradition has taken away a valuable resource -- seeing the life of Christ as that of another human being, a member of a family, a beloved child. It certainly would change our relationship with God to see God as closer to us than we ever understood."
- Tiffany Holleck,
St Peter's Lutheran Church,
Harwich, MA
Bowden Collections offers a variety of traveling exhibitions available to museums, churches, colleges and seminaries: several feature the work of important historical artists such as Georges Rouault, Marc Chagall, Ottos Dix and Alfred Manessier; others explore topics related to the Bible. A packet containing everything needed to mount the exhibition with files for labels, itemized lists, a brochure or flyer in PDF format, high-resolution digital files of art in the exhibition, and shipping information is provided. Venues are responsible for the rental fee and shipping, usually to the following venue.
Mary as Madonna
Mary in the Bible
Mary Around the World
MADONNA and CHILD
Nancy Goes (1936 - )
United States
Beaded icon 2002
5 1/3 x 5 ½
Madonna and Child is based on a historically traditional icon of the Madonna and the Christ Child. Nancy Goes writes “For me this icon portrays the beautiful and loving relationship between mother and child and the tenderness of maternal love which is selfless and unconditional.” These images are painted on cloth, embroidered with beads and attached to a wood backing which has been gold leafed.
MADONNA AND CHILD
Unknown artist
Italy
Oil on metal 1800s
3 ¾ X 3 ¾
Mary sits with a look of pleasure and calm toward a third person, probably Elizabeth, whose head is partly cut off and who is intently engaged with the Christ Child on Mary’s lap. Mary is wearing her traditional red garment with a blue cape to one side. Recalling the Renaissance masters this unknown artist created this little jewel of a painting, but the part we see is curiously a cut down version of the original.
MADONNA AND CHILD
Unknown artist
Italy
Painting on wood panel 1800s
7 x 5 ¼
This Madonna and Child in a tender embrace recalls the 16th century Renaissance paintings. The Christ Child clings to his mother and she holds him close to her body. The artist has carefully painting the draping folds of their garments. A book to the side is a symbol of Mary’s devotion to the Scriptures and obedience to God, but it is also reminding us that Jesus is the ‘Word made flesh.’ A small black bird sits on the stand as a symbol of the soul and Christ’s gift of life. All of these elements are encased in an elaborate frame adding more drama to the setting.
ICON of the MOTHER of GOD
with ST. MICHAEL and ST. GABRIEL
Tatiana Grant
Russia/United States
Egg tempera on wood 1990’s
6 ¼ x 8 7/8 open
This small triptych icon of Mary and the Christ Child follows a Russian tradition of iconography in which the figures are elongated and rather elegantly portrayed.
Iconographer’s are not artists per se, but consider themselves writers of the Gospel. This icon was written after the famous Vladimir Mother of God from the Byzantine tradition, known as the Loving Kindness Icon. Of all the icons of Mother and Child, this type appealed most of all to the Russians, who took it up with especial enthusiasm.
After perhaps 20 layers of gesso (a chalk and glue mixture) a background of gold leaf was applied to the surface of the wood, the iconographer fills in the form of each figure with the appropriate color. Detail is added in a series of smaller sections until finally thin delicate lines cast the light of the figure. Note that on the Christ Child the lines on the robe are of gold. Names are written in Russian above each figure.
When the doors of the icon are closed, a cross forms and in the four quadrants are the symbols of the four Gospel writers: the angel for Matthew, the Eagle for John, the Lion for Mark and the Ox for Luke. Another cross is on the back with four seraphim in each corner.
MADONNA and CHILD
Unknown iconographer
Greece
Egg tempera 18th century
12 1/8 x 7 5/8
This icon of the Virgin and Child is known as the Hodigitria which means ‘Pointer of the Way’ because Mary is pointing to Jesus signifying that he is The Way. Mary is identified with the traditional Greek letters to each side of her head, and the Christ Child is marked with the IC XC to his left side which stands for Jesus Christ. Christ is always identified with three divisions in the halo which signify a cross.
Because of its simple and straightforward style the icon was probably from a more rural region of the Greece and is at least 150 years old. It was the central panel in a triptych which would have had side doors which opened and closed. The doors may have folded into the arched area in front of the Virgin.
Madonna of Tenderness
The Sisters of the Community of Jesus
United States
Fabric quilting with acrylic painting
2015
44 1/2 x 31
The inspiration for this fabric panel is the icon known as the Virgin of Vladimir, painted in the 11th or 12th century in Constantinople by an unknown iconographer. In 1155 it was moved to the city of Vladimir and later to Moscow. It is the most beloved icons of the Russians and revered all over the world. The Sisters of the Community of Jesus in Orleans, MA have translated this image into a stunning fabric hanging that portrays a radiance upon the face of Mary and Jesus. With Jesus' face pressed against the cheek of Mary, icons of this type are known as Madonna of Tenderness, thus the title of the hanging.
MADONNA and CHILD
Unknown iconographer
Greece
Egg tempera 18th century
12 1/8 x 7 5/8
This icon of the Virgin and Child is known as the Hodigitria which means ‘Pointer of the Way’ because Mary is pointing to Jesus signifying that he is The Way. Mary is identified with the traditional Greek letters to each side of her head, and the Christ Child is marked with the IC XC to his left side which stands for Jesus Christ. Christ is always identified with three divisions in the halo which signify a cross.
Because of its simple and straightforward style the icon was probably from a more rural region of the Greece and is at least 150 years old. It was the central panel in a triptych which would have had side doors which opened and closed. The doors may have folded into the arched area in front of the Virgin.
MADONNA
Anders Zorn (1860 – 1920)
Sweden
Etching 1900
13 x 9 1/4
This is possibly the only religious etching Anders Zorn is known to have created. The sharply contrasting shadows, dark background and deeply encised line create an intriguing portrait of a young mother, lost in thought, as she holds her child on a cool winter’s night. Zorn’s Madonna is a common girl from the turn of the century with her kerchief rather than a glowing garment draped around her head, and she holds a child wrapped in a soft blanket.
Anders Zorn is the most well-know Swedish artist and is famous for his fine etchings. Americans fancied his work even more than his homeland.
4 - 8
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Virgin and CHILD with LANDSCAPE
Aegidius Sadeler (1570 – 1629)
Netherlands
Engraving c 1600
This remarkable engraving by Aegidius Sadeler (1600) is crammed with details that tell the Christmas story. This is not a nativity scene, but a compilation of many events surrounding the birth of Jesus.
After the Renaissance it was popular for artists to portray the Virgin and Jesus in a landscape setting, giving them an opportunity to show their artistic skills. The background landscape is filled with details from the birth of Jesus: shepherds see the angel telling them to go to Bethelehem; wisemen, with an entourage of camels approach from the distant hills; and the star of Bethlehem shines prominently over all the hillside. In the distance is a city set high upon a hill, suggesting the New Jerusalem.
Mary is holding a book in one hand, reminding us that she is a devote follower of her Jewish faith, and she holds the Christ Child on her lap as he reaches for a flower. The foreground is filled with a myriad of flowers and animals, every bug, plant, and animal having its own meaning: an owl hids in the darkness of a stump, symbolizing Satan; a sly fox is tied to another stump, suggesting the devil; a lion sits quietly on the left, a reminder of strength and majesty; and lilies and irises are the flowers of the Virgin.
ANNUNCIATION
Scot Bennett (1958–)
Canada/United States
Mixed media 1987
20 x 16 inches
This collage mixed-media piece entitled Annunciation, approaches the traditional topic from a more contemporary perspective. The viewer first sees the very beautiful face of a young woman whose eyes are closed as in meditation or prayer. A gilded halo crowns her head, and we know this is Mary. To the left of the girl we find an angel with fluttering wings.
WHAT IF GOD HAD CHOSEN KATE?
Duncan Simcoe
United States
Pastel on paper
2002
30 x 22
Duncan Simcoe has chosen a most intriguing question for us to ponder. He has reflected on Joseph’s amazing act of obedience to God when asked to take Mary as his wife, even though she was ‘found with child.’ He wonders if he would have been as willing a participant in God’s plan of salvation if Kate, his wife, had been chosen by God to bring Jesus into the world.
Duncan is a professor of art at Southern California Baptist University where he teaches painting and drawing. He recently lost his dear wife Kate to cancer.
MAGNIFICAT
Unknown illuminator
Europe
Illumination 15th century vellum from Latin Book of Hours
5 x 4
The Magnificat has occupied an important place in the Liturgy of the Church since around the fourth century. The canticle is taken from the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55) where the events of the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth are recorded. Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist at the time, greeted Mary with the well-known phrase "Blessed art thou amongst women, blessed is the fruit of thy womb Jesus". Mary responded with the Magnificat.
VISITIATION
Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528)
Germany
Engraving 1505 19th century edition
11 13/16 x 8 3/8
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.’ Luke 1: 41
Albrecht Dürer’s wood engraving from 1505 depicts the lesson of the 4th Sunday of Advent at the moment when the two women greet one another. Zechariah, Elizabeth’s husband and John the Baptist’s father, stands in the doorway as he witnesses the encounter. Dürer placed the meeting in a typical German setting with hills and a distant village in the background.
This is the point when Mary responds to Elizabeth with the greatest song of praise and joy, the Magnificat, My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior. Luke 1:46,47
NATIVITY WITH WISEMEN
Rudolph Bostic (1942 -
United States
House paint on cardboard panel 2005
23 ¼ x 22 1/2
With characteristic charm Rudolph Bostic invites us to enter the manger with the three wisemen beside the Holy Family. The center panel is encircled with a collar depicting of the wise men, horses, a vessel, and other biblical symbols—all things we associate with the birth of Christ.
Rudolph Bostic is a prolific self-taught artist from Savannah, Georgia. His vibrant images are painted using enamel and house paint on cardboard. Bostic’s inspirations come from the Bible and photos of the works of the masters such as Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. His art is in the permanent collection of several museums including the High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia.
NATIVITY (after Giorgione’s
Adoration of the Shepherds)
Bruce Herman (1953 - )
United States
Lithograph
30 x 22
This lithograph was created in response to Giorgione’s Adoration of the Shepherd from the National Gallery in Washington, DC. Herman writes, “The darkness of the cave in which the Holy Family kneels, the craggy cliff above, the lovingly wrought forms of the shepherds and incidental landscape – all of this worked on me to motivate the response I’ve made in the lithograph. My version of the Holy Family is somewhat different: Mary is older and partially unclad like a nursemaid, the infant Jesus is separated from his parents by a visual boundary, and his flesh is pocked and scarred like someone having been scourged. I’ve conflated the birth narrative in the gospel with Good Friday and the grief of the blessed Virgin. In some sense this is as much a pietà as it is a nativity.”
PIETÀ
Michel Ciry
(1919 - )
France
Etching 1951
10 1/8 x 7 7/8
Ciry is an artist and writer living in Normandy who is known for his biblical narrative etchings.
PIETÀ
Nancy Snooks
United States
Woodcut 2003
60 x 35
Nancy Snooks says, “ The Pietà as a subject continues to reoccur in my work. I think it has something to do with loss, loss of family, dog, loss with war, loss with the environment.” This woodcut is one of three in a tripych with the central piece being the crucifixion and the third, the agony.
Nancy Snooks, a sister in a Catholic order, is an international printmaker and professor emeritus, with her MFA in printmaking from the University of Southern California. Her work is in many collections including the Vatican Museum of Contemporary Religious Art.
CHRIST among the DOCTORS
Arthur-Wilham Heintzelman (1891– 1965)
United States
Drypoint 1931
8 3/4 x 11 5/8
This delicate drypoint shows Jesus as a twelve-year-old among the learned Doctors in the Temple at Jerusalem. Heintzelman has shown Mary kneeling in an act of devotion before her son as he converses with the amazed teachers. She was worried when he went missing in their group returning to Nazareth and returned to find him in Jerusalem, but at this moment she is amazed and allows herself to bow before Jesus.
Flight to Egypt
William John Ellingson (1933 -1994)
United States
Etching
c 1940s
9 x 12 inches
Bill Ellingson’s mid-century etching offers the viewer an interesting insight into the Flight to Egypt. Two angels assist Mary as she navigates a steep terrain. They reach to help keep the infant Jesus safely in her arms as if Mary had nearly fallen on the journey. Joseph walks with the donkey and watches from a distance.
Wedding at Cana
Dimitrios Moulas (1975 - )
Greece
Egg Tempera paint on wood
2015
25 7/8 x 19
The prototype for this icon of the Wedding at Cana is from a fresco from 1527. Mary and Jesus are at the wedding in Cana when she asks Jesus to rescue an embarrassing situation—all the wine has been consumed. Even though Jesus had not yet performed any miracles and had not begun his teaching, she had faith that he could solve the problem and told the servants to do whatever he told them. Good advice to all of us.
DESCENTE de CROIX
Louis Jou (1882 – 1968)
France
Wood cut Japon paper
14 x 10
In this stylized two color woodcut, Louis Jou depicts three women a they surround Mary. The dead body of her son lies stiffly on her lap. To Mary’s side John and Peter engage in conversation, while Joseph of Aramathea kneels before the body of his Lord. Against the backdrop of dark patterns Christ’s stark, supine and lifeless white body emerges from the darkness of agony and death.
CRUCIFIXIONE
Agostino Carracci (1557 - 1602 )
Italy
Woodcut afeter Veronese 1582
12 x 8
The three Marys cluster beneath the cross where Jesus has died. Mary Magdalen and Mary, the sister of Martha, tend to Jesus’ mother who has fainted. With Jerusalem in the distance Saint John looks to his crucified Lord ready with a towle over his arm to begin caring for his body.
This scene of the Crucifixion was taken from a painting by Veronese. The practice of engraving another artist’s was common and considered ligitimate. Carracci was a talented Italian engraver who drew the human body with so much accuracy that his engravings were used as teaching tools two hundred years after their production.
STUDY for the MOTHER of CHRIST
Louis Legrand (1863 – 1951)
France
Etching
10 1/8 x 13 1/4
This intriguing drawing was from Legand’s sketchbook and demonstrates his artistic search for a way to portray Mary with her crucified son. Mary is drawn with great detail, but the Christ figure is almost ghostlike as she embraces him—perhaps a memory of him after his death.
THREE WOMEN at the TOMB
Unknown artist
Germany
Woodcut 1546
4 1/2 x 5 1/4
This woodcut is from a 16th century German Bible and visually links several elements of the Resurrection story in one picture. Matthew’s Gospel tells us that on the Sabbath the three Marys, one of whom is Jesus’ mother, went to the tomb to anoint his body for burial, only to be greeted by the angel of the Lord who tells them, “He is not here; for He has risen.”
Jerusalem is pictured in the distance with the morning sun rising over the horizon. In the middle of the picture Jesus is seen with a halo and a hoe in hand. Mary Magdalene greets him thinking she is seeing the gardener.
PENTECOST
Pieter van der Borcht II
(1545 – 1608)
Belgium
Wood Engraving 1626 Missale
13 1/2 x 9
Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives…When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying…They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Act 1: 12-14
This large engraving of Pentecost shows all the participants with tongues of fire lit above their heads. Mary, the mother of Jesus, is at the center of the scene along with all the disciples. Even though the New Testament clearly states that Mary was present at Pentecost, most people are surprised to discover her in the depiction.
ASCENSION
Unknown artist
Germany
Wood engraving c 1546
4 ½ x 5. ¼
Forty days after he rose from the tomb, Christ ascended to heaven. This woodcut is from a German New Testament and illustrates the Ascension of Jesus as described in the first chapter of Acts. The disciples are gathered around a rock as they look up, seeing only the feet of Jesus as he ascends into the heavens, but Mary looks straight forward in an act of prayer. Interestingly, the imprint of his feet is visible on the rock from which he ascended!
10 - 18
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MARY AT THE BIRTH OF JESUS
Unknown iconographer
Russia
Egg tempera on wooden egg 1990s
4 ½ x 3 diameter
This icon of the Nativity pictures Mary leaning forward over the infant Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes, reminiscent of burial wrappings—all pointing to Christ’s ultimate purpose for coming to earth. Two farm animals watch from the sidelines and a star hangs from the night sky over the manger. The reverse has a resurrected Christ—the final destination of the Savior that came to earth.
VIRGIN MARY AND BABY JESUS
Unknown sculptor
Bulgaria
Wood three-panel personal altarpiece 20th c
SIZE
This roughly carved freestanding altarpiece was created as a personal altar for a Bulgarian home, probably for a family with limited financial means, but with deep spirituality and need for beauty. Mary and the infant Jesus fill the center panel with the angels Gabriel and Michael in the side panels.
ESKIMO MADONNA
Lomen Brothers (1880s –????)
United States
Photograph 1905
8 x 10 inches
This proud Eskimo mother carries her infant on her back and the child sleeps nestled against his mother—comparing this young mother with her child to Mary and the infant Jesus. Eskimo Madonna is a press photograph that was shot in 1905 by the Lomen Brothers from Nome, Alaska. They were transplants from St. Paul Minnesota who made the folkways of Alaska their subjects. This photograph became quite famous and won them much acclaim.
Notre Dame
France
Photograph, 1926
10 x 8 inches
From the time of Gothic cathedrals in the 13th century literally hundreds of churches and cathedrals have been named after the Virgin Mary sometimes called Notre Dame, or Our Lady. Notre Dame de Paris is a destination for tourists and pilgrims all over the world. This 1926 press photograph was taken for release to a newspaper to accompany an event at the cathedral.
BLACK MADONNA
Tamara Adams (1967 - )
United States
Acrylic on canvas 2013
20 x 20 inches
Tamara Adams’ Black Madonna is a stylized interpretation of the traditional Black Madonna of Eastern Europe and Central America. Her colorful acrylic paintings of women pay tribute to the beauty, mystery and strength of the female spirit. With the women’s movement in the 20th century and black history awareness, the Black Madonna has taken on a new popularity.
A black Madonna is a statue or painting of Mary in which she is depicted with dark skin. It is not known why they are black, but it may be that the wood or painting darkened over time. However, at the base of some the inscription from Song of Songs 1:5 can be found, “I am black and beautiful.”
Rosary Beads
Czech Republic
Unknown artist
Metal box and red glass beads
Mid 20th Century
The rosary is a form of devotion to the Virgin Mary that consists of a series of meditations and prayers centering on events in the life of Christ and of the Virgin. The prayers of the rosary are counted on a string of beads and this practice is said to have begun in France in the early 13th century.
The word bead has an interesting etymology from the mid-14th century English word, bede originally meaning ‘prayer.’ It is also related to the German word bitte that means ‘please’, asking God to ‘please’ hear our prayer.
This tin container housing the believer’s personal rosary of red beads of garnet was beautifully hand-pounded repoussé to reveal a Madonna and Child.
MARY HOLDING THE INFANT JESUS
Unknown sculptor
Tanzania
Ebony wood 1990s
11 x 2 x 1
Tanzanian Christians have a long history of carving nativities, crosses and Mary statues out of black ebony, a very hard wood. Mary is elongated to add an element of grace as she holds the Christ Child near to her breast.
Mary and the Infant Jesus
Unknown sculptor
Germany
Woodcarving mid 20th century
The swaying body of the Virgin, animated by deeply carved rhythmic folds, gives a sense of lyricism and weightiness characteristic of later Gothic sculpture in Northern Europe. The sweetness of expression of both mother and child makes the sculpture extremely vivid and appealing to the viewer. The baby Jesus is holding a globe to signify his kingship of the whole world. This sculpture was probably crafted in Oberammergau in the mid-20th century.
MADONNA AND CHILD
Unknown artist
Japan
Wood Carving
4 ¼ x 2 ¼
This hand carved Japanese Madonna and Child offers a tender and intimate glance into the relationship between a mother and child. The woodcarving uses Ichi-I wood (yew tree in English) that gets richer in color with a natural sheen becoming evident with the passing of time. Because the growth rings of the yew are very small, Ichii-itto carving is characterized by its fine-grained wood.
MARY and the PROPHET JESUS
Unknown miniature painter
Turkey
Egg tempera on marbled paper 20th c
9 ¼ x 6 ¾
This amazing Turkish illumination comes out of a long tradition in the Ottoman Empire of miniature painting on parchment and marbled paper. The text is written in Arabic, and it portrays Mary and the Prophet Jesus just after He is born. Mary sits beneath a date tree by a stream with Jesus on her lap while angels comfort her.
It might be surprising to some that the Qur’an has given the Virgin Mary such high regard. The 19th sūrah of the Qur’an is titled Mary, the only one to bear the name of a woman.
There are many parallels between the Qur’an’s portrait of Mary and that of the New Testament, but there are also some distinct differences. After Mary has found that she was miraculously with child in the Qur’an she withdraws to a place in the East where she would give birth to Jesus. This story echoes that of Hagar, the concubine of Abraham, when she retreated to the desert with Ishmael.
Mary and Infant Jesus
Unknown sculptor
Equator
Carved wood mid 20th century
In Catholic countries of South America there is a deep love of Mary. She represents the gentle and loving side of God and is embraced for her role in bringing Jesus into the world. Nearly every home has a picture or sculpture of the Virgin Mary to help them remember her as a model of devotion.
This mid-20th century carving with its oval form so beautifully showing the child in the sweeping embrace of the Virgin stirs our hearts to remember how special holding an infant can be.
ANNUNCIATION and the MADONNA and CHILD
Unknown artist
Greece
Silver Mid-20th century
2 ½ high
One side of this remarkable silver egg pictures the Annunciation with the Angel Gabriel approaching the young Mary to tell her she will give birth to the Savior of the World. The reverse side depicts the Madonna and Child with angels hovering nearby. The silver egg functions as a Greek icon.
ANNUNCIATION and the MADONNA and CHILD
(reverse)
Unknown artist
Greece
Silver Mid-20th century
2 ½ high
One side of this remarkable silver egg pictures the Annunciation with the Angel Gabriel approaching the young Mary to tell her she will give birth to the Savior of the World. The reverse side depicts the Madonna and Child with angels hovering nearby. The silver egg functions as a Greek icon.
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Exhibitions of this Collection
2024
August 1, 2024 to December 30, 2024
Belmont University
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37212
Contact: Dr. Todd Lake, todd.lake@belmont.edu
615 460 6628
November 20 to December 30, 2022
Kairos Gallery, St. Andrews Anglican Church
440 Whilden St, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
Dwight Huthwaite, dhuthwaite@standrews.church (843) 284-4348
November 1, 2021 - February 28, 2022
St Luke’s Anglican Church
50 Pope Ave., Hilton Head, SC
Contact: 843 785 4099
November 1, 2019 to January 30, 2020
Westminster Presbyterian Church
8955 Columbia Ave, Munster, Indiana 46321
Contact: Shari LeMonnier / 219 669-4855
November 1, 2018 to January 30, 2019
Gordon-Conwell Seminary
14542 Choate Circle
Charlotte, NC 28273
Contact: Nicole Martin, nmartin2@gordonconwell.edu
(704) 236-8111
October 1 to December 31, 2017
First Baptist Church
600 Govemors Dr. Huntsville, AL 35801
Contact Bob Saint, thesaint@aol.com
256.679.6321
June 1 to August 28, 2017
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
310 Route 137 Harwich, MA 02645
508.432.5172
Contact Christian & Tiffany Holleck, Matthew14_27@comcast.net
calledbyname@comcast.net
January 6 to February 25, 2017
Calvin Collge Art Gallery
3210 Burton St. SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49546
Contact Joel Zwart, jhz2@calvin.edu
616-526-6271
The show rents for $400 /month, with a minimum of 4 weeks per venue. With the rental of two months the third month is free.
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