Marian life
The life of Mary is a description of the life of Mary , the mother of Jesus , in picture cycles. The individual themes, motifs and forms of representation of these portraits of Mary vary in the individual epochs and areas.
Source texts
A number of different texts serve as sources for the visual arts to portray the life of Mary. The few biblical sources can be found in the Gospel of Luke ( Lk 1.26–56 EU , Lk 2 EU ), in the Gospel of Matthew ( Mt 1.18–25 EU , Mt 2 EU ), in the Gospel of Mark ( Mk 3.31–35 EU ), in the Gospel of John ( Joh 19.25–27 EU ) and in the Acts of the Apostles ( Acts 1.14 EU ). There are also legendary versions of the stories handed down in the Apocrypha of the New Testament , especially in the Gospel of James and in De transitu beatae Mariae virginis from an alleged Gospel of John from the 5th century.
Imaginative and detailed designs of the life of Mary come from the legends widespread in the Middle Ages, such as the Legenda Aurea by Jacobus de Voragine . One of the earliest literary adaptations of the life of Mary is the book of legends by Roswitha von Gandersheim from the 10th century, which, like the “Childhood of Jesus” by Konrad von Fußesbrunnen (around 1200) and the spiritual poem “Von unsr vrouwen hinfahrt” (first half of 13th century) of Konrad von Heimesfurt gave the visual artists numerous suggestions for the visual design of the life of Mary.
Representations in the fine arts
Themes and motifs
- Childhood of Mary (legendary):
- Joachim's expulsion from the temple for childlessness
- Annunciation to Joachim
- Annunciation to Anna
- Meeting under the Golden Gate in Jerusalem
- Birth of Mary
- Mary's temple walk , she comes to the legendary temple maidens
- Maria in the ear dress , mostly single representation, rarely in a cycle
- Engagement to Josef , sposalizio
-
Childhood story of Jesus (biblical):
- Annunciation (Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary, Lk 1.26-38 EU )
- Visitation of the Virgin Mary (visit of Mary to her relative Elizabeth, Lk 1.39–56 EU )
- Joseph's doubts ( Mt 1.18–25 EU )
- Way to Bethlehem / arrival in Bethlehem / search for a hostel ( Lk 2.6 EU )
- Birth of Christ ( Lk 2,6–7 EU )
- Adoration of the Shepherds ( Lk 2.8–20 EU )
- Maria in childbed (legendary)
- Circumcision of Jesus ( Lk 2.21 EU )
- Adoration of the Magi ( Mt 2,1-12 EU )
- Presentation of Jesus in the temple (= presentation of the Lord ) ( Lk 2,22-39 EU )
- Flight into Egypt / In Egypt / Return from Egypt ( Mt 2,13-23 EU )
- Baby Jesus in Nazareth with his parents ( Lk 2,39-40 EU )
- Jesus' childhood (legendary)
- Walk to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festival in the temple ( Lk 2.41–42 EU )
- Mary and Joseph meet, Jesus is gone ( Lk 2.43–45 EU )
- Finding in the temple ( Lk 2.46–50 EU )
- Jesus leaves the temple with his parents ( Lk 2.51–52 EU )
- From the time of Jesus' public ministry , from the passion and the resurrection reports :
- Mary at the wedding in Cana ( Joh 2,1-12 EU )
- Mary on the Way of the Cross (iconographic)
- Mary under the cross ( Joh 19.25-26 EU )
- Sorrowful Mother (Latin Mater Dolorosa )
- The body of Jesus in his mother's lap ( Pietà , iconographic)
- Mary with the disciples on the Ascension of Christ (legendary)
- Mary with the disciples at Pentecost ( Acts 2,1-14 EU , Mary's presence is legendary)
- From the traditions about Mary after Christ's death (legendary):
Individual outstanding representations
Individual outstanding representations for art history are:
- by Giotto (around 1305) in Padua, arena chapel
- by Domenico Ghirlandaio (around 1490) in Florence, Santa Maria Novella
- Buxtehude Altar by Master Bertram (around 1390)
- Altar of the Cologne Master of the Life of Mary (around 1470)
- Woodcut series by Albrecht Dürer from 1501–1511
- Albrecht Altar of the Master of the Albrecht Altar in Klosterneuburg (around 1440)
- Frescoes in the Arena Chapel in Padua
Birth of Mary
Temple corridor
Escape to Egypt
See also
literature
- Hermann Lemperle : Madonnen: The Madonna in German sculpture , 1965
- Michael Nitz: Marienleben . In: Lexikon der Christian Ikonographie Vol. 3, Herder, Freiburg 1971, Col. 212-233.
Web links
- Life of the Virgin Mary (virtual exhibition of the University Library of Regensburg)