Mary in the Bible

Basic Info

The Gospels contains many references to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and in the art tradition, she is often depicted in the midst of one of those stories. Especially common depictions of Mary in Bible stories include the Annunciation, the visitation with Elizabeth, the Nativity, the flight into Egypt, finding Jesus in the Temple at age 12, being present at the Crucifixion, being present when Jesus was taken off the cross, and presiding over the Pentecost event. Perhaps the most common image however is that of Mary holding the child Jesus in her arms.

The Bible depicts Mary as faithful, courageous, loving, a virgin, a mother, a disciple, a leader, reflective, and pained.

Mary’s virginity is referenced in Scripture and became an empowering alternative for women. Contemporary viewers are cautioned not to impose contemporary attitudes toward virginity on artworks made during the first 1900+ years of Christianity. In patriarchal cultures where women are considered the property of their fathers and then of their husbands, having an option, being able to choose virginity for the sake of God, is an incredibly liberating alternative. One could argue that in the West today, the “sexually open” society has made sexual intercourse “obligatory” again, in that it shuns the option of virginity.

Sections on artwork depicting Mary in specific Bible Stories are linked below. The section on Bible Stories in general also offers guidelines.

These subtopics offer deeper exploration:

• Anticipation, Birth, and Childhood of Jesus
• Crucifixion
• Aftermath of the Crucifixion: Deposition, Lamentation, Pieta, Entombment
• Pentecost
• Woman of the Apocalypse/Immaculate Conception