Blue Madonna, Mary Mother of God
How must Mary have felt when she encountered the Angel Gabriel and was asked to allow the Holy Spirit to overshadow her and thus conceive the Christ Child?
Saint Augustine in his Sermons says about Mary:
“When the angel had spoken, she, filled with faith and conceiving Christ first in her mind before she did so in her womb, replied:
‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word’.”
(Sermon 215)
In another sermon on the Nativity, he makes the same contrast between Mary’s conceiving the Eternal Word in her mind through faith and conceiving him in her womb. It works better in Latin:
Saint Augustine also makes the obvious link with us when he says: The mother carried him in her womb, but we do so in our heart – or mind, through faith, as she first did. Therefore
I first saw stoney landscape and stone wall formations in the west of Ireland, but only became familiar with them when I came to live and work in South Uist. The east side of the islands are covered in a stoney landscape, with many old buildings with stone formations. From this came the idea of building up a painting of the Madonna in a stone-like formation and placing the images on individual stones. It worked.
In the image of the "Blue Madonna" I used the blue colours in order to give it a mystical look. The main formation is in the magnified shape of a woman's ovum where the egg of life is produced. To the left there are spirals which symbolise God the Father, Christ is in the womb-stone, and to the right is the dove of the Holy Spirit. The hand and face of the Madonna caress and contemplate the Christ child.
Blue Madonna, Mary Mother of God
High quality limited edition litho print on card. The width and height of the print is 6.6 inches and 12 inches. With a bright white 12 x 16 inch card mount and in a cellophane pocket.
Angelus nuntiat,(The Angel announces : the Virgin hears, believes and conceives: faith in her mind, Christ in her womb)
Virgo audit, credit et concepit:
Fides in mente,
Christus in Ventre.
Saint Augustine also makes the obvious link with us when he says: The mother carried him in her womb, but we do so in our heart – or mind, through faith, as she first did. Therefore
‘Blessed is she who believed…’ (Luke 1: 45) andIt is a rich theme and focuses our attention on the centrality of a contemplative faith which
“Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it.’ (Luke 8: 19-21).
“hearing the Word, holds it fast in an honest and good heart, and brings forth fruit with patience.” (Luke 8: 15)The great mystical film "2001 : A Space Odyssey" ends with beautiful and dramatic images of the unborn child, making us think about where we came from and where we are going. Ever since seeing the film I have been fascinated by the image of the unborn child made ever clearer by new technologies. After art school I experimented in a new kind of "Madonna and Child" icon, trying to show the Christ child in Mary's womb. I failed. The torso of the Madonna looked as if it had been opened up by a surgeon.
I first saw stoney landscape and stone wall formations in the west of Ireland, but only became familiar with them when I came to live and work in South Uist. The east side of the islands are covered in a stoney landscape, with many old buildings with stone formations. From this came the idea of building up a painting of the Madonna in a stone-like formation and placing the images on individual stones. It worked.
In the image of the "Blue Madonna" I used the blue colours in order to give it a mystical look. The main formation is in the magnified shape of a woman's ovum where the egg of life is produced. To the left there are spirals which symbolise God the Father, Christ is in the womb-stone, and to the right is the dove of the Holy Spirit. The hand and face of the Madonna caress and contemplate the Christ child.
Blue Madonna, Mary Mother of God
High quality limited edition litho print on card. The width and height of the print is 6.6 inches and 12 inches. With a bright white 12 x 16 inch card mount and in a cellophane pocket.
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