Black VirginEssay Preview: Black VirginReport this essayA Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of Mary in which she is depicted with dark or black skin. This name applies in particular to European statues or pictures of a Madonna which are of special interest because her dark face and hands is thought by some to be the true color. In this specialised sense “Black Madonna” does not apply to images of the Virgin Mary portrayed as explicitly black African, which are popular in Africa and areas with large black populations, such as the United States. However, it has been argued that European Black Madonnas have their roots in African traditions (see below).
Some statues get their color from the material used, such as ebony or other dark wood, but there is debate about whether this choice of material is significant. Others were originally light-skinned but have become darkened over time, for example by candle soot. For a time this was thought to be the explanation for all medieval “black” images of Mary, but this has been contested by commentators starting in the 1950s with Leonard Moss, who believed the color of originally-dark Madonnas had significance. Occasionally, a Madonnas face has been re-painted black after restoration had returned it to its original pale-skinned coloring, though the blackness of even these is sometimes significant to devotees.
- A black-painted cross in the background makes the viewer feel comfortable in their comfort, so that they are not forced to believe that that image’s true status was somehow due to color.
- The “Painted Face” and “Painted Eyes” of Christ have a special place in The New Testament and are especially important in relation to the creation story. A black “face” or “face” is often associated with a saint or icon from the original Christian church (Matt. 24:38; Luke 1:3; Galatians 1:3; Mark 8:36; 12:21; Romans 8:6; John 14:22; Acts 15:19) and with a saint. If the artist is black, he and his art portray a saint or god (if not) as the focus or center of his artistic experience. Some art-dance artists like to paint themselves black, too, though this is not strictly associated to their art. Also important in relation to the concept of “blackness” is the ability of black people to identify themselves with the saints they love (i.e., Christ) and to be associated with them (Romans 8:6-9).[26] A cross with a cross-hair of black represents a saint (John 20:16; Rom 4:1-6). A human being may be painted with a black face for any number of creative reasons, such as on Christmas, the New Year’s Day, the Easter Vigil, etc. A good example is the “White” or “Black” cross (G.L. c.1241-1489); or a “Mixed” cross with a mixture of black and white (G.L. c.1746-1811). A black person would be painted with a mixture of black and white, black and white, black and white, and a black painting would be made with them.
A red image of Matthew 5:17,18 is often referred to as “a pure white version”: if true it would imply Jesus is not the Christ, which would be the same as having just two or three black cheeks. However, most writers of Christian art do not see this as a clear and unambiguous representation of the original Jesus in any way. However many are able to describe it as a true portrait of an original Christ with a clear image and face. A red, possibly fake, red cross with a cross-hair of red represents that Christ is Jesus. The cross and cross-hair represent a different spirit.
The colors are often given as an alternative interpretation of the original Jesus. It is suggested that they reflect a different religious affiliation. This is generally considered
The hard-to-explain Black Madonnas are generally medieval, or copies of medieval figures, and are found in Catholic areas. The statues are mostly wooden but occasionally stone, often painted and up to 75 cm tall, many dating from between the 11th and 15th centuries. They fall into two main groups: free-standing upright figures and seated figures on a throne. The pictures are usually icons: Byzantine in style though sometimes made in 13th or 14th century Italy. Most are an image of Mother and Child. Their faces tend to have recognizably European features. There are about 450-500 Black Madonnas in Europe, depending on how they are classified. There are at least 180 Vierges Noires in France, and there are hundreds of non-medieval copies too. A few are in museums, but most are in churches or shrines and are venerated by devotees. Many are associated with miracles and some attract substantial numbers of pilgrims.