The Immaculate Conception

"The Immaculate Conception"
December 8th, 2009
Ink, pencil, watercolors, watercolor pencils, ArtRage



"Who is she that rises forth like the dawn,
fair as the moon,
pure and bright as the sun,
and as terrible as a many-bannered army?" (- Song of Songs 6:10)

"A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." (- Revelation 12:1)

"How beautiful you are, my darling,
How beautiful you are!
Your eyes are like doves!" (- Song of Songs 1:15)

"...I have found thee like a little shepherdess
Gay with green ribbons; and passed on to find
Michael called Angel hew the Mother of God
Like one who fills a mountain with a mind:
Molten in silver or gold or garbed in blue,
Or garbed in red where the inner robe burns through,
Of the King's daughter glorious within:
Change shine unchanging light with every hue.

Clothed with the sun or standing on the moon
Crowned with the stars or single, a morning star,
Sunlight and moonlight are thy luminous shadows,
Starlight and twilight thy refractions are,
Lights and half-lights and all lights turn about thee,
But though we dazed can neither see nor doubt thee,
Something remains. Nor can man live without it
Nor can man find it bearable without thee..."
- G.K. Chesterton

"...The popularity of this particular representation of The Immaculate Conception spread across the rest of Europe, and has since remained the best known artistic depiction of the concept: in a heavenly realm, moments after her creation, the spirit of Mary (in the form of a young woman) looks up in awe at (or bows her head to) God. The moon is under her feet and a halo of twelve stars surround her head, possibly a reference to "a woman clothed with the sun" from Revelation 12:1-2. Additional imagery may include clouds, a golden light, and cherubs. In some paintings the cherubim are holding lilies and roses, flowers often associated with Mary." (Wikipedia - [link])




So, here is my picture of the Immaculate Conception that I tried to hurry and get done by the 8th (it was mostly done by then I think) but I didn't get much of a chance to scan it until now. I think the above quote from Wikipedia describes a lot of the imagery I tried to employ in this picture. I didn't have angels, though I definitely did think about it. The border was once again, me trying to imitate gothic stained-glass designs. I picked roses up at the top because, along with lilies, they are a flower favored by Our Lady. The trefoiled outer border represents the Blessed Trinity and their close relationship with Mary. Now for the picture. The halo of twelve stars (one if hiding behind her hair. ) , the moon beneath her feet and the sun surrounding her are all of course, references to Revelation. For Mary's face I wanted her to look very pure, and dove-like, with a youthful innocence surrounding her. I really liked this picture of her ( [link]) so I tried to make her look a little like that. Her white robes rimmed with gold are all symbolic of her "brightness like the sun" and her purity, both physical and spiritual. The blue mantle represents her humanity (blue is the traditional color of humanity, red symbolizes divinity or royalty). The serpent represents Satan, as a reference to this passage: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel." (Genesis 3:15) Since Mary is the one who brought Christ into the world she is triumphant over the ancient foe as well. The Holy Spirit above her is shedding his grace upon her, to make her "Kecharitomene" or, the one "ever-full of grace." (That will be represented by gold rays. I will eventually finish this off with gold ink and re-submit it, once I get some. Hopefully I'll get some for Christmas. )

Anyway, I think this is a great feast to celebrate during Advent because Mary is a sign and prefigurement of the God-Man's coming into the world. When Mary shows up we know that Christ is not far behind.

The Feast day of the Immaculate Conception is December 8th, and she is the patroness of the United States.




"...And she the Immaculata, grafted into the Love of the Blessed Trinity, becomes from the first moment of her existence and forever after the "complement of the Blessed Trinity." In the Holy Spirit's union with Mary we observe more than the love of two beings; in there is all the love of the Blessed Trinity; in the other, all of creation's love. So it is that in this union Heaven and earth are joined; all of Heaven with the earth, the totality of eternal love with the totality of created love. It is truly the summit of love. At Lourdes, she did not say that she was conceived immaculately, but as St. Bernadette repeated it, "Que soy era immaculata councepiou:" "I am the Immaculate Conception."



"...For is not Mary the Mother of Christ? Then she is our Mother also. And we must in truth hold that Christ, the Word made Flesh, is also the Savior of mankind. He had a physical body like that of any other man: and again as Savior of the human family, he had a spiritual and mystical body, the society, namely, of those who believe in Christ. "We are many, but one sole body in Christ" (Rom. xii., 5). Now the Blessed Virgin did not conceive the Eternal Son of God merely in order that He might be made man taking His human nature from her, but also in order that by means of the nature assumed from her He might be the Redeemer of men. For which reason the Angel said to the Shepherds: "To-day there is born to you a Savior who is Christ the Lord" (Luke ii., 11). Wherefore in the same holy bosom of his most chaste Mother Christ took to Himself flesh, and united to Himself the spiritual body formed by those who were to believe in Him. Hence Mary, carrying the Savior within her, may be said to have also carried all those whose life was contained in the life of the Savior. Therefore all we who are united to Christ, and as the Apostle says are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones (Ephes. v., 30), have issued from the womb of Mary like a body united to its head. Hence, though in a spiritual and mystical fashion, we are all children of Mary, and she is Mother of us all. Mother, spiritually indeed, but truly Mother of the members of Christ, who are we (S. Aug. L. de S. Virginitate, c. 6).

If then the most Blessed Virgin is the Mother at once of God and men, who can doubt that she will work with all diligence to procure that Christ, Head of the Body of the Church (Coloss. i., 18), may transfuse His gifts into us, His members, and above all that of knowing Him and living through Him (I John iv., 9)...?"

- "AD DIEM ILLUM LAETISSIMUM" ENCYCLICAL OF POPE PIUS X ON THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION ([link])




Immaculate Mary, your praises we sing,
You reign now in splendor with Jesus our King.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!

In Heaven the Blessed your glory proclaim,
On earth we your children invoke your sweet name.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!

We pray for the Church, our true mother on earth
And bless, Holy Mary, the land of our birth.
Ave, Ave, Ave Maria! Ave, Ave, Ave Maria!



EDIT: Added the gold!