2. ART WEEK: MARY’S INFLUENCE IN ART

3. This week in religion class, we will be focusing on the different aspects of Catholic artwork and its many forms, designs, and effects on Catholics around the world. This video will teach you about Marian artwork, i.e. Catholic artwork that includes Mary, Our Mother. Fill in your graphic organizer as you learn about the different types of Marian artwork!

4. Madonna artwork has been created in several different styles and depictions, by many different origins of peoples. Some depictions in particular are the Madonna Enthroned, the Madonna of Humility and the Adoring Madonna. Although each depiction is different, they each help us in understanding Mary, Our Mother and the many beautiful traits that she possessed.

6. Madonna Enthroned artwork was common in the Medieval and Renaissance time periods. These commonly take the forms of altar pieces, mosaics and frescoes. The Ognissanti Madonna by Giotto is an example of a medieval Madonna Enthroned painting, which commonly includes angels and saints supporting the throne of Mary.

8. Madonna Enthroned images remind us of the splendor and beauty that is contained in our Mother, Mary. With these depictions, we are reminded of Mary's courage in following God's call, her wisdom in understanding her faith, and the love and devotion that she gave to her son and savior, Jesus Christ.

10. A second type of Madonna artwork is the Madonna of Humility depiction. As seen in this painting by Domenico di Bartolo, in these depictions Mary is commonly seen sitting on the ground, while holding Jesus in her lap. This depiction is a product of the Franciscan piety, which focuses on humility, stemming from the Latin word humus, meaning ground.

11. These images evoke us to remember the humility of Mary, as she followed on God's path of mothering the Savior and the King of the universe, Jesus Christ, and yet held no pride in her heart- only humility. These depictions fill us with admiration for Mary, and inspire us to follow her example of humility.

13. A third type of Madonna artwork is the Madonna Adoring depiction, which includes Mary kneeling in adoration, admiring the infant Jesus. These depictions were popular during the Renaissance period, and were usually smaller images used for personal devotion.

15. The Madonna Adoring depiction is yet another example of Madonna artwork that enhances our understanding of the Blessed Mary. These art pieces show us that Mary was in awe of Jesus, and even when He was an infant, she understood that Christ would one day save all of mankind from sin and lead us to life everlasting. In her wisdom, Mary knew that Jesus was one who was to be adored and glorified, even in His infancy.

22. These three depictions, the Madonna Enthroned, Madonna of Humility and Adoring Madonna are greatly effective in the faith of those throughout the world. Learning about these images and why they were created can help us to understand the importance of art and the effect that it can have in our everyday life.

23. Once you have finished filling out your graphic organizer, start working on your worksheet. When you are finished, place both pieces of paper on the front table.

24. Here are some websites to learn more about art and how art is created, or how to create art yourself! www.artcyclopedia.com/index.html www.newyorkcarver.com/photogal.htm kids.albrightknox.org/index_launched.html kidsart.com/product-category/books-for-art-history/ www.art.scholastic.com/ www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/education/kids.html www.artsconnected.org/toolkit/explore.cfm