Hey everybody! Since the May Crowning is tomorrow and everybody's thoughts have been on Mary this month, I though it'd be a good idea to discuss some religious art that depicts Mary, the Mother of God.
Take a look at this beautiful Marian-styled art piece. In case you don't know, Marian iconography is simply artwork pertaining to Mary, the Mother of God. She is normally depicted with the Immaculate Heart, but in this picture, she is holding a young baby Jesus. Let's take a look at the meaning of this master piece.
Before I get started, I first would like to ask you: what was your first reaction to this painting? Did you notice the bright yellow in the background or the small angels beside Mary's head? Did you notice baby Jesus' golden robe or Mary's facial expression? All of these factors contribute to the main message of this picture, or the meaning of it The artist of this marvelous painting wasn't just randomly painting, but was inspired by God to create an image as beautiful as this. You may be asking: why? Today we will figure that out together and share our interpretation of it.
Let's start by breaking it down based on what we have already learned, so start by looking at the colors of the picture: gold, blue, red, and green are mostly what this painting consist of. We know that gold represents holiness and light, blue represents eternity, red represents great royalty and dignity, and green represents humanity and the Earth. Also, as you can see, there are many creases in their clothing which represents the inner harmony of the soul and the body, revealing the true glory of Mary and Jesus. You may notice how Mary is looking directly at us, reflecting the image of God while Jesus is looking off at a small angel. This is saying that the picture is mainly about Mary, making it a Marian-styled art piece. The two small angels are Michael the Archangel and Gabriel.
So, with all of this information, we are able to look at the true meaning of this picture. Ever heard "a picture tells a thousand words"? Well in this case, that is certainly right! This picture tells us about Mary and her life as well as her personality. The angel Gabriel is depicted because he came to Mary when God asked her to give birth to Jesus. Jesus is also is this picture because she is the mother of God, meaning that she is the mother of Jesus. This picture also tells us about her, like how she is very holy--as is Jesus--and that she is a human but without original sin. From this picture, we are able to understand that she has much wisdom, dignity, and courage, based on the colors and her posture.
Not only does this picture tell us the story of Mary's life, but it also teaches us something, As I've said before, art and iconography is inspired by God, so the real artist is the Holy Spirit, which is also why there is never an artist's signature on any Catholic iconography. This means that God wants for us to learn more from this picture other than Mary's life. He wants us to learn it and understand it. He wants us to learn what Mary's life meant so that we are able to understand what God wants from us. Knowing about Mary's life--like when she said "yes" to God, even when she was scared--can help us learn how to act in our own lives. This picture shows us how we should live and what we are aiming for here--God.
To me, this picture is a strong example of how I should live, of how I should answer my call to God. When things get tough and I am scared, I must always remember that God is with me through everything and is there for just that reason--for when I'm scared and I need someone to trust. God is our loving, giving, and eternal Father; he wants us to say yes to him like Mary did, and to have the faith to continue down the path to him so that we may spend all of eternity with him.
What were your thoughts on this? Be sure to leave a comment! Thanks for stopping by! See you next time!
Take a look at this beautiful Marian-styled art piece. In case you don't know, Marian iconography is simply artwork pertaining to Mary, the Mother of God. She is normally depicted with the Immaculate Heart, but in this picture, she is holding a young baby Jesus. Let's take a look at the meaning of this master piece.
Before I get started, I first would like to ask you: what was your first reaction to this painting? Did you notice the bright yellow in the background or the small angels beside Mary's head? Did you notice baby Jesus' golden robe or Mary's facial expression? All of these factors contribute to the main message of this picture, or the meaning of it The artist of this marvelous painting wasn't just randomly painting, but was inspired by God to create an image as beautiful as this. You may be asking: why? Today we will figure that out together and share our interpretation of it.
Let's start by breaking it down based on what we have already learned, so start by looking at the colors of the picture: gold, blue, red, and green are mostly what this painting consist of. We know that gold represents holiness and light, blue represents eternity, red represents great royalty and dignity, and green represents humanity and the Earth. Also, as you can see, there are many creases in their clothing which represents the inner harmony of the soul and the body, revealing the true glory of Mary and Jesus. You may notice how Mary is looking directly at us, reflecting the image of God while Jesus is looking off at a small angel. This is saying that the picture is mainly about Mary, making it a Marian-styled art piece. The two small angels are Michael the Archangel and Gabriel.
So, with all of this information, we are able to look at the true meaning of this picture. Ever heard "a picture tells a thousand words"? Well in this case, that is certainly right! This picture tells us about Mary and her life as well as her personality. The angel Gabriel is depicted because he came to Mary when God asked her to give birth to Jesus. Jesus is also is this picture because she is the mother of God, meaning that she is the mother of Jesus. This picture also tells us about her, like how she is very holy--as is Jesus--and that she is a human but without original sin. From this picture, we are able to understand that she has much wisdom, dignity, and courage, based on the colors and her posture.
Not only does this picture tell us the story of Mary's life, but it also teaches us something, As I've said before, art and iconography is inspired by God, so the real artist is the Holy Spirit, which is also why there is never an artist's signature on any Catholic iconography. This means that God wants for us to learn more from this picture other than Mary's life. He wants us to learn it and understand it. He wants us to learn what Mary's life meant so that we are able to understand what God wants from us. Knowing about Mary's life--like when she said "yes" to God, even when she was scared--can help us learn how to act in our own lives. This picture shows us how we should live and what we are aiming for here--God.
To me, this picture is a strong example of how I should live, of how I should answer my call to God. When things get tough and I am scared, I must always remember that God is with me through everything and is there for just that reason--for when I'm scared and I need someone to trust. God is our loving, giving, and eternal Father; he wants us to say yes to him like Mary did, and to have the faith to continue down the path to him so that we may spend all of eternity with him.
What were your thoughts on this? Be sure to leave a comment! Thanks for stopping by! See you next time!
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