Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

To: seemoAR

It’s the “Theotokos of Vladimir” that some credit to St. Luke, some say that origin’s been disproved. It resembles th Black Madonna of Czestochowa said also to have been written by Luke as well as seven others by St. Luke and transported to India by St. Thomas before he was martyred there.

Luke is credited with being the Church’s first iconographer (excepting the ‘not-made-by-hands’ mandylion or Image of Edessa).

These icons are said to also bear resemblance to earlier paintings on cave walls.

Luke is reported to have first drawn both Mary and Jesus and to have done so at their home on, I believe, an oak table.

Icons of Mary and Jesus are relatively stable in the East, (see Christ Pantocrator) and medieval representations tended to follow these. The Shroud of Turin is also a close match in the case of Jesus.

So, who know, tradition says we have images/icons of Mary and Jesus from an early time. It may not be accurate to say “we don’t know what Mary (or Jesus)looked like.” Certainly, these icons would have the most provenance.


44 posted on 12/16/2008 9:18:10 PM PST by D-fendr (Deus non alligatur sacramentis sed nos alligamur.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies ]


To: D-fendr
So, it may also be accurate to say we don't really know how Mary or Jesus really looked. Jesus didn't stand out in a crowd. He didn't have a halo suspended over his head. Many people think Jesus had long blonde hair and blue eyes. After all, there are pictures of him all over the world. ;0)
Judas had to betray him to the multitude. (ST. Matthew 26:48)
Jesus came into my life in the early 1950’s. I have never needed to know how he looked.
45 posted on 12/17/2008 2:57:59 AM PST by seemoAR
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson