Black Madonna
A Black Madonna or Black Virgin is a statue or painting of Mary in which she is depicted with dark or black skin, especially those created in Europe in the medieval period or earlier. In this specialized 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 Brazil and the United States.
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. This is generally thought to be the explanation for most medieval "black" images of Mary, but this theory has been contested by those who believe that the color of originally-dark Madonnas had a more intentional significance.
The Black Madonnas are generally found in Catholic areas. The statues are mostly wooden but occasionally stone, often painted and up to 75 cm tall, generally 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 which are Byzantine in style, often made in 13th or 14th century Italy. 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 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.
Black Madonnas Worldwide
Europe
Belgium
Croatia
France
Many examples exist, including:
Germany
Ireland
Italy
Kosovo
Luxembourg
Lithuania
Macedonia
- Kališta, Monastery : Madonna icon in the Nativity of Our Most Holy Mother of God church
Malta
- Ħamrun : a medieval painting of a Black Madonna rests in a small church, with the church being possibly the oldest one in the area, originally built in honor of St. Nicholas. Brought to Malta by a merchant in the year 1630, the painting is of a statue found in Atocha, a parish in Madrid, Spain, and is widely known as Il-Madonna tas-Samra. (This can mean 'tanned Madonna', 'brown Madonna', or 'Madonna of Samaria'). She may also be called Madonna ta' Atoċja, corresponding to the Spanish Nuestra Señora de Atocha. There were celebrations in 2005, the painting's 375th year in Malta.
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Serbia
Slovenia
Spain
Switzerland
The Americas
Brazil
Chile
Costa Rica
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Asia
The Philippines
- Antipolo (Rizal) : Nuestra Señora de la Paz y Buen Viaje de Antipolo (Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, of Antipolo)
- Ermita, Manila (Metro Manila) : Nuestra Señora de Guia (Our Lady of Guidance)
- Lapu-Lapu (Cebu) : Nuestra Señora de la Regla (Our Lady of the Rule)
- Loboc (Bohol) : Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of Guadalupe)
- Piat (Cagayan) : Nuestra Señora de la Visitacion de Piat (Our Lady of the Visitation, of Piat)
See also
Notes
External links
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Visual arts · Christianity
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