From Publishers Weekly
erhaps the most pervasive image of the Nativity is that of the Madonna cradling her child; since the second century, iconographers have depicted Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a woman worthy of veneration. Despite scanty information about Mary in the Gospels, "the yearning for the powerful but gentle Great Mother could not be silenced," claims Belan, who categorizes Madonna worship into very rough historical periods. Belan offers interesting art-historical details on such variations as the Black Madonna and the Madonna as Sun Goddess. The bulk of the book is comprised of point-by-point explanations of some famous works of art, which are lavishly reproduced here.
Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
As a religious and cultural icon, the Madonna has inspired almost 2000 years of imagery and symbolism. Displayed here are over 200 illustrations of the Virgin, imparting rich color to the book with their large scale and full detail. In her discussion of themes depicted in the artwork, artist and author Bel n (art and art history, Broward Community Univ.; Lucid Future) explores issues concerning goddess worship and the perceived threat felt by a patriarchal church. She occasionally steps up onto a feminist soapbox, basing her discussions on personal perceptions rather than historical evidence. Lack of a detailed index further limits this work's value as research material, and very loose chronological order, without strong thematic organization, makes this a browsing book with the happy occurrence of information. While there is more history and interpretation to this book than Jacqueline Orsini's similar Mary: Images of the Holy Mother (Chronicle, 2000), the research student will need to look elsewhere for theological and scholarly discussion of the topic. For larger public libraries. Karen Ellis, Nicholson Memorial Lib. Syst., Garland, TX
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.
