Most people have seen a Madonna and Child, Pietà, or a depiction of the Nativity. But have you seen Mary clubbing a demon or squirting her breast milk at a saint?
Here are 6 artistic depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary that you may not have seen before.
[See also: 8 of the Oldest Images of the Blessed Virgin Mary]
Enjoy!
1) The Lactation of St. Bernard of Clairvaux
St Bernard of Clairvaux was a 12th century monk and is revered today as both saint and doctor of the Church. Apparently, later in his life he was suffering for an eye ailment and the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to him and squirted to some breast milk at him (depending on the depiction, either in his face or mouth) which immediately healed him. True or not, this scene has been depicted by many artists.
[See also: 31 Beautiful Paintings of Mary Nursing the Baby Jesus]
2) Exterminatrix of Heresy
Jesus gave us Mary to be our spiritual mother (John 19.26-27). She is also the fulfillment of the Woman in Genesis, of whom God made the enemy of the serpent (Genesis 3.15). As Christ’s servant, she does all she can to protect Christ’s faithful from the evil one.
[See also: Why Are Demons So Afraid of Mary?]
3) The Knitting Madonna
Scripture says that Jesus’ tunic was seamless (John 19.23-24). In the medieval period, several artists depicted the Blessed Virgin Mary knitting together Jesus’ seamless tunic.
[See also: When Our Mother Appeared: 5 Little-Known Marian Apparitions]
4) Christ Taking Leave of His Mother
In the 15th and 16th century, artists in Germany started painting an imagined scene in which Jesus says goodbye to his mother before his final trip to Jerusalem for his passion.
[See also: 4 Literally Awesome Facts About Our Lady of Guadalupe]
5) Mary as a Child
According to the tradition, Mary was raised by her parents St. Anne and St. Joachim. She was not only conceived without Original Sin but also, full of God’s grace, remained sinless. What was her childhood like? We don’t know much, but many artists have chosen to depict it for us.
[See also: Uncanny: Watch this Parrot Say the “Hail Mary”]
6) The Mother and Grandmother of Jesus
Some artists have depicted the young mother Mary watching the child Jesus with St. Anne, her own mother and thus grandmother of Jesus.
[See also: 13 Beautiful Non-White Depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary]