The myth of motherhood in art
About
For over two thousand years, the Virgin Mary has been depicted through art and culture, with many examples to be found in the National Gallery. ‘Madonna and Child’ paintings have come to symbolise the perfect maternal experience, foregrounding beauty and serenity. These supposed virtues have had influence beyond Christianity and into wider popular culture; contributing to stereotypical views about motherhood and what it is to be a woman.
On the occasion of writer Chine McDonald’s new book ‘Unmaking Mary: Shattering the Myth of Perfect Motherhood’ and coinciding with our current exhibition ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting’, which features several Early Renaissance examples, this discussion deconstructs the myth of perfect motherhood in art. We explore the common tropes found within painting and reflect on artists and writers working today who depict a more authentic representation for one of the most important jobs in the world.
Joining Chine McDonald are art historian Joanna Wolfarth, writer and curator Catherine McCormack and artist and project curator Sharon Walters, with the discussion chaired by Maryanne Saunders, our Ahmanson Research Fellow.
Speakers
Chine McDonald is a writer, broadcaster and director of the religion and society think tank, Theos. She is the author of 'God Is Not a White Man: And Other Revelations' (Hodder & Stoughton, 2021) and 'Unmaking Mary: Shattering the Myth of Perfect Motherhood'. She is vice-chair of Greenbelt Festival, and a trustee of Christian Aid. Chine studied Theology and Religious Studies at Cambridge University, and is a Canon Theologian at Chester Cathedral.
Joanna Wolfarth is an art historian and author of the acclaimed ‘Milk: An Intimate History of Breastfeeding’. Her writing has appeared in publications such as The Observer, Hyperallergic and History Today, as well as numerous academic journals. A specialist in Southeast Asian and Buddhist arts, Joanna earned her PhD in History of Art from the University of Leeds. She currently teaches global art history at the Open University and is an Adjunct Professor at the Fulbright University Vietnam.
Catherine McCormack is an author, independent curator and consultant lecturer at Sotheby’s Institute of Art and the University of Oxford. Her most recent book is 'Women in the Picture: Women, Art and the Power of Looking'. In 2019 she curated the acclaimed two-part show ‘Matrescence and Maternality’ at Richard Saltoun Gallery in London and in 2022 she was curator of the 'Exploring Radical Female Joy' programme with Unit London. Her current projects include a book on early modern women artists and one on Elena Ferrante, difference feminism and the art and politics of the Italian women’s movement.
Sharon Walters is a London-based artist and project curator. Her multidisciplinary series Seeing Ourselves, explores identity, beauty standards, and race through intricate paper cut-outs, hand-assembled collages, podcasts, talks, and events. In her layered collages, Walters creates dimensional and complex depictions of Black women. With solo exhibitions at HackelBury, London (2024), and the Midlands Arts Centre, Birmingham (2022), Walters received the Reach Art Prize in 2019 and the Mosaic Art Award at Hauser and Wirth in 2023 for Seeing Ourselves. Walters was awarded the Caird Fellowship Award by Royal Museums Greenwich, which began in February 2025 and will culminate in an exhibition at the museum in 2026. Walters' works have been acquired by public collections, including the National Portrait Gallery and Soho House.
Friday Lates discussion: Unmaking Mary
The myth of motherhood in art
Free
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