Ave Maria: Devotional Prints in the Age of Martin Luther
Saturday, March 21, 2009 - Sunday, July 5, 2009
During the Middle Ages, the Virgin was a prominent figure in visual and devotional culture because of her role as an intercessor and as the preeminent example of humility for faithful Christians. The rise of printmaking and the wide circulation of Marian (of or relating to the Virgin Mary) images reinforced the Virgin’s position in devotional practices. This exhibition explores the evolution of Marian imagery during the 1500s through a selection of common typology associated with the Virgin Mary.
In 1517 Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation, which sought to diminish the veneration of saints, including the Virgin. Luther and his followers believed that the Virgin had displaced Christ in popular devotion. They criticized Marian imagery and condemned many Marian pilgrimage sites, such as the church in Regensburg, Germany shown in Michael Ostendorfer’s The Pilgrimage to the Beautiful Virgin at Regensburg (1519), as idolatrous. Simultaneously, Catholics encouraged Marian devotion as a unifying force within the church.
The prints on display reflect the diverse representations of the Virgin Mary produced in Western Europe during the 1500s when her devotional status was a point of contention between Protestants and Catholics. This typological overview highlights the role of the Virgin in religious life and illustrates how that condition evolved in a century that challenged the Virgin’s place within Christianity.
In 1517 Martin Luther launched the Protestant Reformation, which sought to diminish the veneration of saints, including the Virgin. Luther and his followers believed that the Virgin had displaced Christ in popular devotion. They criticized Marian imagery and condemned many Marian pilgrimage sites, such as the church in Regensburg, Germany shown in Michael Ostendorfer’s The Pilgrimage to the Beautiful Virgin at Regensburg (1519), as idolatrous. Simultaneously, Catholics encouraged Marian devotion as a unifying force within the church.
The prints on display reflect the diverse representations of the Virgin Mary produced in Western Europe during the 1500s when her devotional status was a point of contention between Protestants and Catholics. This typological overview highlights the role of the Virgin in religious life and illustrates how that condition evolved in a century that challenged the Virgin’s place within Christianity.