In Art

For more than 1500 years Madonnas have been an important part of religious art - across Europe and beyond. This small booklet highlights many of the best known, as well as numerous lesser-known, paintings of the Madonna and child. Beyond including Mary and a young Jesus, there are not many similarities between all of the paintings: some include angels, and some of the others include saints. Some of the paintings include halos, but many do not. Some show Jesus as a baby, in some He is portrayed more as a toddler. Most of the paintings are painted in an interior scene, but a few are set outdoors. What other similarities and differences do you notice as you enjoy the paintings from across the centuries?