Madonna & Christ Child / Theotokos / Mother of God

Basic Info

At the Council of Ephesus in 431, even before the bishops were clear on how the Divine and Human natures of Jesus Christ were related, the bishops wrestled with what to call Mary. They settled on the Greek term Theotokos, which literally means “God-bearer” or “the one who gives birth to God.” In the West, especially, this has often been translated as “Mother of God.” Although this might make sense in a conceptual way, artists are faced with the challenge of how to portray it. It is similar to, and flows from, the challenge of depicting Jesus Christ, who is both fully human and fully divine. The Council was clear that she was a human being, but were concerned with how that human being who bore the Son of God then related to that child.

Many images of the Christ Child depict him as a baby-sized grown man, indicating his all-knowing, all-powerful nature. Such a “child” doesn’t need “mothering” in the traditional sense, and in effect, he doesn’t need anything, because he is God and therefore complete. How then should Mary be depicted? Another factor in an artist’s decision was Luke’s mentioning that Mary had some sense of Jesus’ power and importance and held them in her heart (Luke 2:19,51). Some artists have tried to portray those reflections in her facial expression. Others will place a Crucifix in the Madonna image, indicating that the sorrow and sacrifice were always part of what he was doing on earth.

Still another strand of thinking about Mary has her held up as the ideal mother or the perfect mother. From generation to generation and culture to culture, that which constitutes perfection changes. And if perfection is something intangible, the artist has to wrestle with how do depict perfection. Should she exhibit spiritual perfection (and what does that look like?)? Should she instead reflect human perfection, and is that depicted by making her physically beautiful or giving her a facial expression that reflects a perfect emotional state?

The Orthodox icon tradition holds Mary as Theotokos, bearer of God, and depicts her in a red veil over her head and shoulders, usually with a gold star on the veil over her forehead and one on the veil on each shoulder.

What to Look For

•    The relationship between Jesus and Mary in the artwork (eyes, gestures, smiles, hands, etc.)

•    Whether Jesus and Mary are facing the viewer, each other, or someone else

•    Mary’s attitude toward Jesus (motherly, prayerful, reflective, playful, etc.)

•    Mary’s attitude toward the viewer (motherly, prayerful, reflective, etc.)

•    Jesus’ attitude toward Mary (childlike or Godlike)

•    Jesus’ attitude toward the viewer (childlike or Godlike [compassionate, wise, discerning, decisive, etc.])

•    Whether Jesus looks like a small grown man (with the wisdom of God) or a human baby

•    Whether the location and context looks like the artist’s time and place or the artist’s imagined vision of 1st-century

Palestine

•    The mood of the artwork (contemplative, quotidian, etc.)

Questions to Focus a General Interpretation

Human babies are inherently vulnerable. They cannot survive without support. What, if anything, does this artwork say about God’s becoming so vulnerable as to need a mother for sustenance?

Is Mary mothering only Jesus in this work, or is she depicted as mothering all of humanity?

Is Mary a stand-in for all of humanity in this artwork? Is Jesus’ love for her meant to extend to all of humanity?

What is the vision of motherhood depicted here?

What is the vision of mother / child bonding presented here?

Questions to Guide a Personal Interpretation

What does this artwork evoke about your relationship with your mother? How does / did it live up to this ideal? How was / is it different from this ideal? Can it be changed?

What does this artwork evoke about your relationship with your children? How does / did it live up to this ideal? How was / is it different than this ideal? Can it be changed?

Are there others with whom you share this kind of love? with whom you could share this kind of love?

Does this artwork offer you a substitute vision to heal the broken, frail, incomplete, or destructive parental relationships you have / had, as a child or as a parent?

Questions to Suggest a Historical Interpretation



Is physical perfection used in this work as a symbol of divine perfection? How might that reflect the priorities of the artist’s place and time? Does that symbolism still work in the context of contemporary understandings of physical perfection, what it symbolizes, and how it is achieved?

How might this work be understood as an idealization of women and/or mothers in the artist’s place and time? Given the overall situation of women at that time and place, how is this an improvement? How does it relate to the situation of women/mothers in the developing world today? in the developed world?