2006-10-01 12:17:56 · 8 answers · asked by tara 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Other - Arts & Humanities
No one knows what she looks like. There were no photos. She was Jewish however. Most of the great masters of painting were Italian and they used Italian models.
2006-10-01 12:20:00 · answer #1 · answered by notyou311 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It would make sense if she was depicted as Jewish/Middle Eastern, and as a young teen at the time of Jesus' birth. I think many artists, especially long ago,sort of made her look like any young woman of their OWN culture, so you do see Italian looking Marys and even sort of Anglo looking ones, very often. I mean, what are the chances she had any or all of light brown hair, light eyes, perfectly straight hair, or a pale complexion?
2006-10-01 19:22:30 · answer #2 · answered by catintrepid 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mary, as Jesus, has historically been depicted through the lens of the culture in which the artist lived. Mary often has an "Italian" look because of the large amount of religious art originating in Italy and the number of copyists who duplicated or imitated it. Mary, or the Madonna as she is otherwise called, has been portrayed in any number of ethnicity's. Check the references below. No one actually knows what Mary looked like, you're just looking at artists' interpertations of her.
2006-10-01 19:39:47 · answer #3 · answered by Magic One 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Didn't you ask this question or something like it already?
The painters from the Renaissance- were Italian and northern European. They used subjects from their own towns and families. That's why Mary and Jesus look the way they do.
If the artists were African or Asian, Mary and Jesus would have African and Asian features respectively.
2006-10-01 19:27:22 · answer #4 · answered by Malika 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have to agree with catintrepid's answer. I'm sure the Virgin Mary looked to be Latina when she appeared to a Native American in Tepeyac in 1531 (Our Lady of Guadalupe) or Slovak to those she appeared to in Bosnia in 1981 (Our Lady of Medjugorje), etc.
2006-10-01 19:40:14 · answer #5 · answered by margarita 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They were largely painted by Italian artists.
2006-10-01 19:28:22 · answer #6 · answered by old man 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I may be mistaken, but I think Mary was a Sephardic Jew. These people are, usually, darker skinned and more Med eteranean that European
2006-10-01 19:42:46 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
guess it would depend on who was doing the depicting....lot of old Italian painters, after all....and btw there are Italian Jews!
2006-10-01 19:20:08 · answer #8 · answered by silentnonrev 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋