The Virgin Mary is perhaps the most iconic and stereotypical representation of ideal motherhood: serene, subservient, beautiful, young and white. Depicted in countless artworks through history, she is a visual representation of the expectations placed on women by the institution of motherhood. 

What do images of Mary and the maternal in Western Christianity say about the place and role of women, and the unrealistic expectations placed on them? How might we remake and reimagine the Mary we think we know, by looking more deeply into how she is depicted?

Inspired by the painting, 'The Rest on the Flight in to Egypt' by Orazio Gentileschi, author and broadcaster Chine McDonald will recast a realistic and yet beautiful vision for how motherhood can be portrayed in our society.