For over two thousand years, the Virgin Mary has been depicted through art and culture, with many examples to be found in the National Gallery. ‘Madonna and Child’ paintings have come to symbolise the perfect maternal experience, foregrounding beauty and serenity. These supposed virtues have had influence beyond Christianity and into wider popular culture; contributing to stereotypical views about motherhood and what it is to be a woman.
On the occasion of writer Chine McDonald’s new book ‘Unmaking Mary: Shattering the Myth of Perfect Motherhood’ and coinciding with our current exhibition ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting’, which features several Early Renaissance examples, this discussion deconstructs the myth of perfect motherhood in art. We explore the common tropes found within painting and reflect on artists and writers working today who depict a more authentic representation for one of the most important jobs in the world.
Joining Chine McDonald are art historian Joanna Wolfarth, writer and curator Catherine McCormack and artist and project curator Sharon Walters, with the discussion chaired by Maryanne Saunders, our Ahmanson Research Fellow.