Mary: Images of the Virgin in Art portrays the life of the mother of Christ with more than 100 full-page, color reproductions of the Virgin's face as depicted by the world's greatest artists from the twelfth century to the present. From century to century, from country to country, we see the fascinating way each of the artists' representations of Mary reflects the values of their time and society. The portraits of Mary illuminate her roles as virgin and mother, mortal woman and immortal Queen of Heaven, and the way those incarnations were idealized in so many different times and places. These depictions of the Virgin Mary -- of her youth and maturity, in her joy, sorrow, and glory -- selected from both museums and private collections represent a stunning treasury of Marian iconograhy. Selections from sacred and secular texts from diverse traditions, many in translation, offer a treasury of words as rich and varied as the images they accompnay. - Jacket flap