Four Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Tuesdays, February 10 - March 3, 2026
6 pm - 7:30 pm ET
Admission: $125 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: All classes will be recorded for those who cannot attend live
The cult of the Virgin Mary is both ancient and remarkably alive, continuing to shape Catholic cultures around the globe. Legend has it that St. Luke was bold enough to paint the first portrait of Mary, setting off centuries of evolving images and interpretations. Today, Mary stands as the most frequently depicted figure in Catholic art—her faces and forms in churches from Mexico to Poland mirror the dreams, beliefs, and artistry of each community that honors her.
Although Mary appears in the Bible less than a dozen times, scenes like the Annunciation and the Nativity have sparked endless creative responses. But it’s her lesser-known, apocryphal stories that really open up her mythos: accounts of her miraculous birth, her childhood, and her marriage, featuring details as curious as her walking seven steps at six months or blushing before Gabriel. We’ll dive into both well-known and obscure stories to discover how artists, across centuries, have reimagined Mary for their own times and places.
Many images of Mary draw from tradition and legend rather than scripture: her Assumption into heaven, her Coronation, and a constellation of sacred relics like veils, locks of hair, and even vials of milk. Stories of miracles are everywhere—the Virgin appears in visions and dreams, and statues have been witnessed weeping or moving. What do these wonders reveal about Mary and those devoted to her?
This class invites your perspective—have you noticed a striking image of Mary at a church or in your home? What do these depictions mean to you? Bring images from your own experience—stained glass, paintings, statues—and together we’ll uncover the fascinating diversity and deeper meanings behind Mary’s many faces.
Brenda Edgar is an Art Historian in Louisville, KY. Her research interests include relics and reliquaries, medieval medical manuscripts and depictions of disease in medieval art, as well as the historical role of altered states of consciousness in the creation of art. In addition to her work for Morbid Anatomy, she teaches Art History courses at Indiana University Southeast. Her free monthly public talk series, “Art History Illustrated,” is presented at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana. When she isn’t reading or writing, Brenda is a New York Times Crossword Puzzle addict as well as a yoga instructor.
Four Week Class Taught Online Via Zoom
Tuesdays, February 10 - March 3, 2026
6 pm - 7:30 pm ET
Admission: $125 General Admission
PLEASE NOTE: All classes will be recorded for those who cannot attend live
The cult of the Virgin Mary is both ancient and remarkably alive, continuing to shape Catholic cultures around the globe. Legend has it that St. Luke was bold enough to paint the first portrait of Mary, setting off centuries of evolving images and interpretations. Today, Mary stands as the most frequently depicted figure in Catholic art—her faces and forms in churches from Mexico to Poland mirror the dreams, beliefs, and artistry of each community that honors her.
Although Mary appears in the Bible less than a dozen times, scenes like the Annunciation and the Nativity have sparked endless creative responses. But it’s her lesser-known, apocryphal stories that really open up her mythos: accounts of her miraculous birth, her childhood, and her marriage, featuring details as curious as her walking seven steps at six months or blushing before Gabriel. We’ll dive into both well-known and obscure stories to discover how artists, across centuries, have reimagined Mary for their own times and places.
Many images of Mary draw from tradition and legend rather than scripture: her Assumption into heaven, her Coronation, and a constellation of sacred relics like veils, locks of hair, and even vials of milk. Stories of miracles are everywhere—the Virgin appears in visions and dreams, and statues have been witnessed weeping or moving. What do these wonders reveal about Mary and those devoted to her?
This class invites your perspective—have you noticed a striking image of Mary at a church or in your home? What do these depictions mean to you? Bring images from your own experience—stained glass, paintings, statues—and together we’ll uncover the fascinating diversity and deeper meanings behind Mary’s many faces.
Brenda Edgar is an Art Historian in Louisville, KY. Her research interests include relics and reliquaries, medieval medical manuscripts and depictions of disease in medieval art, as well as the historical role of altered states of consciousness in the creation of art. In addition to her work for Morbid Anatomy, she teaches Art History courses at Indiana University Southeast. Her free monthly public talk series, “Art History Illustrated,” is presented at the Carnegie Center for Art and History in New Albany, Indiana. When she isn’t reading or writing, Brenda is a New York Times Crossword Puzzle addict as well as a yoga instructor.
