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Virgin Mary and Christ

Next to the crucifix, the image of the Madonna enthroned or standing with child vividly expresses the Christian belief that God became incarnate through His Son while remaining truly God. Sumptuously clothed and dignified, the Virgin Mother presents her child to believers. As the new Eve she hands Him an apple, which in His hands can become a symbol of sovereignty over the world. The Virgin Mary appears in pictorial narrative cycles beginning with the Annunciation and Nativity of Jesus, continuing on to the Adoration of the Magi and to the sorrowful Mary before her crucified son and ending with her solemn Assumption into heaven as the coronated queen. The Virgin Mary is of vital importance: she offers emotional access to the Passion of Christ through her compassion and intervenes for humanity during the Last Judgment. Her beauty and a number of the many symbols associated with the Virgin Mary were inspired by the love poems from the Song of Songs. Mary is not only viewed as the Mother of God, but also as the mystical Bride of Christ and the embodiment of the church.