Black Madonna

[Lamb]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna

I was reading an article about the Black Madonnas and realized that even though I'm an artist and enjoy Christian Art History that I'm not too familiar with the black Madonnas.

The wiki link above lists numerous countries that contain art/sculptures of not only black Madonnas but black baby Jesus' too.

One such piece of art has this folklore attached to it:

According to legend, the panel for the dark-skinned Madonna and Child came from a table that had been made by Jesus himself while apprenticing to his carpenter father, Joseph. After Jesus’s crucifixion, his mother allegedly took the table with her when she went to live in the home of a disciple, St. John. Upon the top of this, according to fanciful tradition, St. Luke himself painted her portrait.

http://www.csicop.org/si/show/the_black_madonna_a_folkloristic_and_iconographic_investigation

Apparently race isn't the reason she's black:

The blackness of the images is purportedly not related to race or ethnic origins but has to do with symbolic meanings and connections to early goddesses.

"The shrines and images of the Black Virgin have an undeniable spiritual power, which explains their attraction for tourists, as well as those seeking a cure for their ills," writes Ralph Metzner.

https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/eco...na-we-come-and-are-contained-somehow-darkness

Have you noticed many black Madonna art works?

 

[Josiah]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna

I was reading an article about the Black Madonnas and realized that even though I'm an artist and enjoy Christian Art History that I'm not too familiar with the black Madonnas.

The wiki link above lists numerous countries that contain art/sculptures of not only black Madonnas but black baby Jesus' too.

One such piece of art has this folklore attached to it:
http://www.csicop.org/si/show/the_black_madonna_a_folkloristic_and_iconographic_investigation

Apparently race isn't the reason she's black:

https://www.ncronline.org/blogs/eco...na-we-come-and-are-contained-somehow-darkness

Have you noticed many black Madonna art works?

I'm aware of the existence of this .... I knew nothing about any symbolism of such, I thought it was simply a case of Blacks identifying with Black (I know in Asia, Christ is sometimes portrayed as Asian.... that sort of thing). Evidently, its quite different than that.

Interesting.


- Josiah

 

[Lamb]

I'm aware of the existence of this .... I knew nothing about any symbolism of such, I thought it was simply a case of Blacks identifying with Black (I know in Asia, Christ is sometimes portrayed as Asian.... that sort of thing). Evidently, its quite different than that.

Interesting.


- Josiah

I thought the same thing!

Now that I'm retired I think I might delve more into Christian Art History. It's really exciting stuff!

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

I'd always assumed that art like this was cultural more than anything else. Never delved into the deeper meanings. You'll have to keep us apprised of your research.

 

[psalms 91]

Yes, very interesting

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Madonna

Interesting about the above image:

It is known as the 'Black Madonna" because of the soot residue that discolors the painting. The soot is the result of centuries of votive lights and candles burning in front of the painting.

http://www.theworkofgod.org/Aparitns/Others2.htm#Black Madonna

 

[MoreCoffee]

I am not persuaded that soot is the explanation. Consider this

A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of the Blessed Virgin Mary in which she, and oftentimes the infant Jesus, are depicted with dark skin, especially those created in Poland in the medieval period or earlier. The Black Madonnas are generally found in Catholic and Orthodox countries. The term refers to a type of Marian statue or painting of mainly medieval origin (12th to 15th centuries), with dark or black features.[1] The statues are mostly wooden but occasionally stone, often painted and up to 75*cm (30*in) tall. They fall into two main groups: free-standing upright figures or seated figures on a throne. The pictures are usually icons which are Byzantine in style, often made in 13th- or 14th-century Italy. 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 as well. Some are in museums, but most are in churches or shrines and are venerated by devotees. A few are associated with miracles and attract substantial numbers of pilgrims (source)

 

[Lamb]

Soot has discolored the painting a bit but look at the halos and you can still see that it's bright.

 

[ImaginaryDay2]

To a degree, but they still have the same discoloration. The 'Black Madonnas' in general are as MC posted. The information I referred to was specific to the icon in the OP. The 'Wikipedia' article wasn't very well cited either, so I looked elsewhere. Another site suggests the 'smoke' idea is speculative.

 

[Lamb]

I came across a forward from an artist friend on Facebook today and it struck me as very odd because of my art history knowledge. So, being me, I investigated.

The forward was about the earliest known painting of Jesus and his disciples and it showed them all being black. The comments that followed were all insulting toward European white Christians and were completely ignorant.

My research showed that this particular painting (with the claim attached to it) did not emerge on the net until April of 2013. It's supposedly from a Coptic museum in Egypt yet is not in any of the online books that contain art from the museum, nor on the museum's website. If it were such a prominent piece, it would be featured.

What struck me as odd was the style did not fit the period as early enough Christian to be one of the first paintings of Jesus and His disciples. I searched through the internet and haven't found the exact piece yet but I have come across the style and similar pieces from the Russian Pskov School which would put it at a much more modern piece than the claim. I'm still investigating.

I even considered emailing the museum for verification.