I've noticed how there are some paintings where they have both Mary and Jesus in heaven, but she is holding a Jesus as an infant.
Since they are up in heaven, he is obivously no longer an infant, I suppose.
Is there any significance to this?
2007-11-23 08:00:17 · 13 answers · asked by star_puk 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Confused.
The artists, not me.
2007-11-23 08:04:39 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
their are several customary descriptions of Jesus and Mary in art.
the 3 most common descriptions are mary near Jesus on the cross, mary holding the dead Jesus, and Mary with baby Jesus.
the idea that staned behind this is that the story of Jesus is not an earthly thing, it is not part of the earthly history but part of the holy history. it is hard for me to explain couse English is not my language. but what i mean to say the painting of Jesus and Mary do not describe real earthly existence.
but an idea existent beyond time and space.
so Jesus is not a baby or a grown adult he is beyond he is part of the holy trinity. it is realy hard to explain, i studied about it in the art academy whole course on Christian iconography...
any way that the Catholic church view from the middle ages to modern dayes. more or less
2007-11-23 16:43:23 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think Mary with the infant Jesus is a depiction to demonstrate and reinforce the idea that she is the mother of God. To see her next to an adult Christ would be a little confusing and not add to the emotion of the art.
2007-11-23 16:05:08 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
There are just as many paintings of Mary and an adult Jesus
2007-11-23 16:03:31 · answer #4 · answered by tebone0315 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think it is psychological. It is easier to feel affection for a baby. It is also easier to empathize with the loss of life in an adult Jesus if we see him as a vulnerable infant with his life ahead of him. It is at once hopeful and tragic. We know who he is, what the Bible says he means to us and what happens to him.
The early paintings of Madonna and child are based on earlier paintings of Isis and Horus. I also find the Pieta reminiscent of Isis weeping over the body of Osiris, an just as moving. The point of religious art, I think, is to show us a side of myth that we can understand immediately and easily empathize with.
2007-11-23 16:22:00 · answer #5 · answered by Glee 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well it would look kind of funny if Jesus was an adult sitting on his mothers lap.
2007-11-23 16:03:46 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Do not make unto thyself any graven image , either things which are in earth or in Heaven , to bow down to these images .
2007-11-23 16:05:57 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
They are symbolic pictures. They represent what has been done already. It helps us to remember who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
2007-11-23 16:08:31 · answer #8 · answered by Jackie 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋
Probably some messed up artists.
Remember some churches still have statues in their churches where Jesus is still nailed to the cross. That's pretty messed up as well.
Pastor Art
2007-11-23 16:03:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 5⤋
painting Jesus and Mary is blasphemy.
2007-11-23 17:11:05 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
It comes from the older pictures and statues of Isis..!!
2007-11-23 16:07:38 · answer #11 · answered by Terry M 5 · 2⤊ 2⤋