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 is both ancient and alive, shaping Catholic cultures across the world. Tradition says St. Luke first dared to paint the Virgin Mary, beginning a centuries-long, ever-changing history of her image. Mary is the most frequently depicted of all Catholic saints, yet the faces and forms we find in different cultures are wonderfully diverse—reflections of local hopes, histories, and artistry.
Though Mary appears in the Bible fewer than a dozen times, scenes like the Annunciation and Nativity have inspired countless works of art. Even more fascinating are her apocryphal stories—her miraculous birth, her early childhood, her marriage—tales that introduce details such as her walking seven steps at six months and blushing at Gabriel’s message. We’ll explore both familiar and obscure stories to see how artists have reimagined Mary through the ages.
Some images draw on tradition rather than text: her Assumption, Coronation, and a constellation of relics—veils, locks of hair, even vials of milk. Miracles abound too: the Virgin appears in visions, dreams, and stories of weeping or moving statues. What do these wonders say about Mary and her devotees?
Student voices are central here. Have images of Mary caught your attention, in a church or at home? What do these say about your story? Bring images from your life—stained glass, painting, statues—as we uncover the many faces and meanings of Mary together.
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 is both ancient and alive, shaping Catholic cultures across the world. Tradition says St. Luke first dared to paint the Virgin Mary, beginning a centuries-long, ever-changing history of her image. Mary is the most frequently depicted of all Catholic saints, yet the faces and forms we find in different cultures are wonderfully diverse—reflections of local hopes, histories, and artistry.
Though Mary appears in the Bible fewer than a dozen times, scenes like the Annunciation and Nativity have inspired countless works of art. Even more fascinating are her apocryphal stories—her miraculous birth, her early childhood, her marriage—tales that introduce details such as her walking seven steps at six months and blushing at Gabriel’s message. We’ll explore both familiar and obscure stories to see how artists have reimagined Mary through the ages.
Some images draw on tradition rather than text: her Assumption, Coronation, and a constellation of relics—veils, locks of hair, even vials of milk. Miracles abound too: the Virgin appears in visions, dreams, and stories of weeping or moving statues. What do these wonders say about Mary and her devotees?
Student voices are central here. Have images of Mary caught your attention, in a church or at home? What do these say about your story? Bring images from your life—stained glass, painting, statues—as we uncover the many faces and meanings of Mary together.
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.
