The Blessed Virgin Mary

[oggbashan]

Is this your idea of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

The statue, created in 2000, is installed in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral. She is made of Portland Stone and twice life size.

Og

PS. The Cathedral Choirboys refer to her as 'Charlie Dimmock'

 

[Guest]

 

[minsue]

Blonde?!? Who's idea was that?

 

[dr_mabeuse]

The Virgin as a jazzercising super-heroine.

Isn't that dance what we used to call The Funky Monkey?

There was this giant metal statue of the Virgin that they were hauling around here and setting up at various churhces. She was three stories tall and was invariably known as "Scary Mary".

What ever happened to that commandment about no graven images? It seems like the Muslims are the ones who still observe it.

---dr.M.

 

[Weird Harold]

Is this your idea of the Blessed Virgin Mary?

Wehre to start on how that statue doesn't match my expectations?

Pose, physique, clothing, huge honker of a nose, and let's not forget the BLONDE hair.

I haven't a clue who that is really a statue of, but the Virgin Mary would be one of my last guesses.

 

[oggbashan]

What ever happened to that commandment about no graven images? It seems like the Muslims are the ones who still observe it.

---dr.M.

Ely Cathedral lost all its statues, carvings and stained glass to iconoclasts in the 17th Century. Those that are left are headless.

This image is one of the few they have replaced.

Og

 

[impressive]

Looks like Princess Fiona in need of a pit shave.

 

[minsue]

Re: Re: The Blessed Virgin Mary

I haven't a clue who that is really a statue of, but the Virgin Mary would be one of my last guesses.

She looks a lot like my old choir director.

 

[cheerful_deviant]

The BVM doing Thai-Bo?

And since when was there spandex tops 2000 years ago?

 

[oggbashan]

Charlie Dimmock is a well-endowed presenter of a TV garden makeover show.

Og

 

[Guest]

Looks like Princess Fiona in need of a pit shave.

LOL! You just described Charlie Dimmock.

 

[oggbashan]

LOL! You just described Charlie Dimmock.

But Charlie wields a mean spade.

Og

 

[Colleen Thomas]

But Charlie wields a mean spade.

Og

I'm ot a catholic, but this isn't my idea of the Blessed Virgin. She looks like a 1970's San Diego charger's cheerleader signaling the kick was good.

-Colly

 

[oggbashan]

Ely Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral - not a Catholic one.

Og

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Ely Cathedral is an Anglican Cathedral - not a Catholic one.

Og

Of course og, no offense meant.

 

[oggbashan]

Of course og, no offense meant.

I started this thread because I was startled by the statue. It was not my idea of the Virgin Mary.

However, reviewing earlier representations of the Virgin Mary, I can see that many of them were highly fashionable and attractive women by the standards of their time, so perhaps this version is faithful to the on-going artistic tradition of showing the Virgin Mary as an idealised (and desirable) woman.

Whether it might induce Mariolarity - who knows?

Og

PS. This is a good explanation of Mariolarity:

http://home.nyc.rr.com/mysticalrose/marian12.html

 

[Belegon]

I'm ot a catholic, but this isn't my idea of the Blessed Virgin. She looks like a 1970's San Diego charger's cheerleader signaling the kick was good.

-Colly

No, she is wearing way too much clothing for that (Chargers disbanded their cheerleaders in the early 80's after three posed in Playboy)

Lucky for us guys, they returned about ten years later. with some of the "football" we've been forced to watch the last few years, it is nice to still have a reason to go to the games...

hmmm, better watch what I say. I used to date a Charger Girl and the wife knows it. Don't want my game priviliges cut off...

 

[oggbashan]

Any other versions?

Anyone got an image of the BVM that they think is more appropriate than the one that starts this thread?

If so, why is it a *better* image?

What are your preconceptions for such an image?

Og

 

[Guest]

Re: Any other versions?

Anyone got an image of the BVM that they think is more appropriate than the one that starts this thread?

If so, why is it a *better* image?

What are your preconceptions for such an image?

Og

I like this one. It is only an image of her head, but *this* is the image I hold in my head of the BVM:

http://maryourmother.net/3Tears.jpeg

 

[Guest]

"The virgin" for me is La Virgen de Guadalupe". This pic is of a folk-art clay figure. She actually replaced an Aztec goddess but was taken up by the conquered indios because she is "of them", i.e., dark, sorrowful, compassionate.

Perdita

 

[oggbashan]

I can understand Perdita's La Virgen but not this one which is a standard image duplicated thousands of times.

Og

 

[Guest]

Mary was Jewish, very young and working class (for that time). I've yet to see an image that fits.

Perdita

 

[oggbashan]

Tradition

There are a variety of images for Mary, the mother of Jesus.

The Blessed Virgin Mary can be as at the Annunciation or anytime before the birth of Jesus. I think Burne-Jones (or another Pre-Raphaelite) did one of Mary holding a lily. I think that one is dire, but that is just the effect is has on me.

With the baby Jesus is NOT the BVM but the Mother.

Also images of finding the child Jesus in the Temple is not the BVM.

The Mater Dolorosa is at the descent from the Cross. I think Lou's picture might be a Mater Dolorosa, not a BVM.

Some of the pictures are of Mary as she is in Heaven as an intercessor.

Some of the 13th and 14th Century South German wooden carvings of the BVM or the Mother are like the working class woman (but a German one).

The variety of interpretations is astonishing and sometimes just plain weird.

Og

 

[Weird Harold]

I can understand Perdita's La Virgen but not this one which is a standard image duplicated thousands of times.

Og

Tatelou's choice is a good one for me, too. It's actually quite lose to the "standard image" you posted, but the"standard image" tries too hard to show the "mystical aspects" -- Halo, glowing "heart," etc.

It's the halo and other "special effects" that "show" she's blessed and holy and so that's why it's a "standard."

I tned to think of Mary as the "Madonna and child" and the "blessed virgin" as 'Madonna without child' -- i.e. erase the child from the picture because she wouldn't have changed all that much in appearance from "blessed virgin" to "Madonna."

 

[Guest]

assorted virgins

Chinese Madonna: http://biblia.com/mary/virgin-china-26.jpg

Botticelli's "Annunciation": http://www.stfx.ca/academic/catholic-studies/art/botticelli-the_annunciation.jpg

Fra Angelico's: http://www.stfx.ca/academic/catholic-studies/art/angelico-the_annunciation.jpg