The Virgin Mary in Art: Renaissance to Reformation

Remember when an "icon" was more than a pictograph on a computer menu and "Madonna" referred to more than a pop diva? Fortunately, a lot of people do and this tape is an excellent choice for them. As the Reformation shook the Western world, artists were not immune to the changes: Protestants ceased to venerate Mary, Catholics turned a stern eye on artworks depicting apocryphal stories, and the religious wars between the two drained funds for ecclesiastical art for both. Prior to that grim time, the Madonna and Child had been a favorite theme for paintings. Motifs such as the Virgin nursing the infant Jesus, lilies, rays of light, and books each have specific symbolic meanings. Art historian Lois Swan-Jones does a wonderful job explaining the background and the meaning of the paintings, which she photographed at more than one hundred churches and museums in thirteen different countries. The narration is underscored by a beautiful rendition of "Ave Maria" by Renaissance composer Tomas Luis de Victoria. A notable thirty-six page booklet with the tape includes highlights from the script, a bibliography, and advice for using the video in a classroom and other settings. The fourth volume in The Development of Christian Symbolism series (see VL-7/95), this is highly recommended for fine art collections in high schools, colleges, public libraries and churches. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Reagan)