Cat's Eye | The Role Played by the Figure of the Virgin Mary in the Life and Art of the Painter Elaine Risley
In this essay, the author considers the role played by the figure of the Virgin Mary in the life and art of the painter Elaine Risley.
An important motif in Cat's Eye is the figure of the Virgin Mary. As a child, Risley first encounters the visual representation of the Virgin, and the Virgin enters her imagination and plays a role in her tormented childhood, her development as an artist, and her later search for release from haunting memories. As a mature artist, Risley transforms Catholic iconography and theology into a personal vision of wholeness and redemption.
Because Risley is not raised in a religious home, she must discover the symbolic and healing power of the Virgin for herself. Her father is...
[The entire page is 2209 words long]
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