The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin Mary
This article tries to highlight the deep doctrinal meanings underlying the vase that is often included in artistic depictions of the Annunciation. This apparently banal everyday object has been deliberately placed there in a prominent position to symbolize the Virgin Mary in her condition as the vir...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Religions |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/12/1188 |
| _version_ | 1797455439636463616 |
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| author | José María Salvador-González |
| author_facet | José María Salvador-González |
| author_sort | José María Salvador-González |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article tries to highlight the deep doctrinal meanings underlying the vase that is often included in artistic depictions of the Annunciation. This apparently banal everyday object has been deliberately placed there in a prominent position to symbolize the Virgin Mary in her condition as the virginal mother of God the Son, and the bearer of all virtues to the highest degree. As methodological resources to justify our iconographic interpretations of that symbol in these images, our study is based on the analysis of texts by several Church Fathers and medieval theologians, as well as numerous liturgical hymns, which for more than a millennium agreed to designate the Virgin Mary as a “vase”, “vessel”, and other types of containers. Thus, this ancient patristic, theological and hymnographic tradition legitimizes our iconographic interpretation of the “vase” included in fifteen paintings of the Annunciation produced by artists from Italy, Flanders and Spain during the 14th and 15th centuries. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:54:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5895b53415234f8ba0be827597041ba0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-1444 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T15:54:26Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Religions |
| spelling | doaj.art-5895b53415234f8ba0be827597041ba02023-11-24T17:44:48ZengMDPI AGReligions2077-14442022-12-011312118810.3390/rel13121188The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin MaryJosé María Salvador-González0Department of Art History, Complutense University of Madrid, 28008 Madrid, SpainThis article tries to highlight the deep doctrinal meanings underlying the vase that is often included in artistic depictions of the Annunciation. This apparently banal everyday object has been deliberately placed there in a prominent position to symbolize the Virgin Mary in her condition as the virginal mother of God the Son, and the bearer of all virtues to the highest degree. As methodological resources to justify our iconographic interpretations of that symbol in these images, our study is based on the analysis of texts by several Church Fathers and medieval theologians, as well as numerous liturgical hymns, which for more than a millennium agreed to designate the Virgin Mary as a “vase”, “vessel”, and other types of containers. Thus, this ancient patristic, theological and hymnographic tradition legitimizes our iconographic interpretation of the “vase” included in fifteen paintings of the Annunciation produced by artists from Italy, Flanders and Spain during the 14th and 15th centuries.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/12/1188MariologyMarian iconographyMary’s divine motherhoodAnnunciationtheological sourcesdoctrinal symbol |
| spellingShingle | José María Salvador-González The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin Mary Religions Mariology Marian iconography Mary’s divine motherhood Annunciation theological sources doctrinal symbol |
| title | The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin Mary |
| title_full | The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin Mary |
| title_fullStr | The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin Mary |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin Mary |
| title_short | The Vase in Paintings of the Annunciation, a Polyvalent Symbol of the Virgin Mary |
| title_sort | vase in paintings of the annunciation a polyvalent symbol of the virgin mary |
| topic | Mariology Marian iconography Mary’s divine motherhood Annunciation theological sources doctrinal symbol |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/12/1188 |
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