Mary, the mother of Jesus in Christianity, is known by many different titles, epithets, invocations, and several names associated with places.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Byzantine icon, possibly 13th or 14th century
Dormition of the Mother of God 10th c. ivory plaque, Cluny
Madonna and Child among Ethiopian saints, Ethiopia mid 17th c.
Copy of Our Lady of Mercy from Lwów Cathedral before which John II Casimir Vasa first made vows to Mary, "Queen of Poland and Lithuania in 1656
Mary was a first-century Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Joseph and the mother of Jesus. She is a central figure of Christianity, venerated under various titles such as virgin or queen, many of them mentioned in the Litany of Loreto. The Eastern and Oriental Orthodox, Church of the East, Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches believe that Mary, as mother of Jesus, is the Mother of God. Other Protestant views on Mary vary, with some holding her to have lesser status.
The Virgin in Prayer, by Sassoferrato, c. 1650
Virgin and Child with angels and Sts. George and Theodore. Icon, c. 600, from Saint Catherine's Monastery
The Annunciation by Eustache Le Sueur, an example of 17th century Marian art. The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary her pregnancy with Jesus and offers her white lilies.
The Virgin's first seven steps, mosaic from Chora Church, c. 12th century
