Artistic Images of Virgin Mary to be Examined in Documentary to Debut on Public Television in December
WASHINGTON (November 27, 2006)—No one knows what she really looked like, yet the Virgin Mary stands among the most popular artistic subjects in history. In every medium, with every imaginable material, in tiny personal images and gigantic mosaics, artists have depicted her the world over.
Picturing Mary, a stunning new high-definition documentary to debut next month on public television, explores how images of the Virgin reflect numerous traditions, devotional practices and cultures. The one-hour program leads viewers on a pictorial journey through history from the earliest times to the present day and presents a stunning array of art from twelve locations in eight different countries.
Picturing Mary is a production of Thirteen/WNET New York and The Edge Facilities, Ltd., in association with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. The documentary follows their previous collaboration on the 2001 Emmy award-winning The Face: Jesus In Art. The documentary is narrated by actress Jane Seymour and features quotations read by actor James Keach and a Spanish version can be accessed using the SAP (secondary audio program) television control.
Picturing Mary will be distributed to public television stations nationwide by American Public Television (APT) in December.
"This program is a Christmas gift from the Catholic Communication Campaign to TV viewers," says USCCB Director of Production Ellen McCloskey. "In fact, many stations will present it on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Like The Face: Jesus in Art, Picturing Mary will become a perennial television favorite during the Advent and Christmas seasons."
Almost all of the artworks featured in Picturing Mary were filmed in situ, that is, in the original settings where they were intended to be viewed hundreds of years ago. Settings include the Basilica of Santa Maria Gloriosa in Venice, Italy, home of one of the greatest paintings of the Venetian Renaissance,Titian's 22-foot-high "Assumption."
Other settings include Bruges, Belgium, where Jan van Eyck used what was then a new medium – oil painting – to astonishing effect on full size pictures of Mary.
The documentary also highlights Rembrandt van Rijn's work in the Dutch city of Amsterdam, where he created hundreds of etchings, prints and drawings to establish himself as the greatest illustrator of Scripture ever. Devoted to realism, Rembrandt depicts Mary in "Death of the Virgin" not as the lovely maiden traditionally pictured, but as a sick old woman.
The use of the latest widescreen high definition technology enables startlingly beautiful pictures from far away places, including Mexico City, site of the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe; and Lake Tana, in Ethiopia, where Christians under siege took refuge in the 16th century.
Picturing Mary allows viewers up-close virtual visits to some of the world's greatest masterpieces. At the Vatican, for example, the filmmakers capture Michelangelo's exquisite Pieta from behind the glass shield that has protected it since the early 1970's.
The executive producers of Picturing Mary are William F. Baker and Msgr. Francis J. Maniscalco. Scriptwriters are James Clifton and Rosemary Plum. Director is Martin Johnson, and producer, Rosemary Plum. The director of photography is Chris Hartley. Music composer is Matthew Scott.
Picturing Mary was made possible by the USCCB's Catholic Communication Campaign with additional funding from James and Judy Boyle, Abby and George O'Neill, The Boisi Family Foundation, The Aztec Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Mark Berner, Our Sunday Visitor Foundation, and Sandra Robinson.
The Catholic Communication Campaign is an activity of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops that develops media programming, public service announcements, and other resources to promote Gospel values. Donations of Catholic parishioners make possible the work of the CCC. For more information, visit www.usccb.org/ccc.