Madonna and Child (Guanyin, Goddess of Mercy), China. Ivory, late Ming, 1580-1640. (Photo by Sandor Acs © 2001 American Bible Society

But I was not prepared for the magnificence of the present exhibition, "Icons or Portraits? Images of Jesus and Mary from the Michael Hall Collection." It simply knocked me out. The quality of the art in the show is breathtaking and overwhelming, as is its rarity. Most of the 114 objects in the show are sculptures—mainly from Renaissance and Baroque Europe. The exhibition would be worth visiting if only for the opportunity of seeing works by Donatello, Desiderio da Settignano, and Verrocchio. Nowhere in New York City are there other documented original Donatellos or Desiderio da Settignanos.

Of special interest for musicians, Donatello's Madonna and Child With Music Making Angels (catalog No. 2), dating from the 1430s, is a very low relief, known as schiacciatto, or gilded stucco. In this touching and elegant work we see in beautiful perspective four angels, two of whom are seated on either side of the enthroned Madonna, one playing a small, bowed instrument, and the other plucking a lute. One wonders how realistic these representations are, and what we can tell from them about instruments and players of the Renaissance.

Desiderio da Settignano's small Madonna and Child (catalog No. 5), c. 1460, is tender, loving, gentle—also schiacciato, derived, perhaps, from works by Donatello. Michelangelo himself was probably influenced by this magical white marble piece, with its flowing lines and unusual elliptical format.

The Coronation of the Virgin With Musical Angels (after Guido Reni, 1757-1642), Italy. Oil on copper, prob. 17th century. (Photo by Sandor Acs © 2001 American Bible Society)

A painting by a follower of Guido Reni (1575-1642) in oil on copper titled The Coronation of the Virgin With Musical Angels (catalog No. 44) represents all manner of angel/musicians. String players strum and bow unlikely looking instruments; a harpist, an organist, several pipers, and many singers perform singly or in groups. This doesn't look like any concert or arrangement of music I've ever seen or heard: indeed, the musicians appear to be more in competition with each other than in harmony, a theme normally intended in this type of painting.

The provocative and thoughtful exploration of the theme itself is another reason for seeing the show. How do artists know what Jesus or Mary looked like? To each culture and era they look different—as well as to each individual artist. And yet there is something innate in these depictions that causes us to recognize Jesus Christ—and Mary, too, though perhaps less so; her images appear more enigmatic and open to subjective interpretation. The show addresses these questions, and how such images were created and what their background was.

The Bible does not give a physical description of Christ—but in historic writings he is sometimes described as horrific and deformed, reflecting how he was "despised" and "rejected," and made ugly by plague and suffering. On the other hand, he was thought the most handsome, smiling, good, radiant man ever born. Goodness and light transformed him into an ageless embodiment of beauty. But beautiful or ugly, physiognomic features are always subjective at best. Was Christ blond and blue-eyed, as sometimes portrayed, or Semitic, dark, and full-lipped? Was he thin and frail or sturdy and strong? In this exhibit, we see many variations—even including Chinese depictions. Five sub-themes form the iconographic categories of the show: Madonna and Child; Marian and Christological narratives; Passion Narratives: The Body of Christ (Corpus Christi); and Icons or Portraits?

Annunciation and Holy Family Pilgrim’s Flask, China. Enamel on copper, Ming Dynasty, c. 1620. (Photo by Sandor Acs © 2001 American Bible Society)

The depictions of Mary are even more varied than those of Jesus—so much so that many are in dispute. When shown alone without the baby, or without recognizable symbolism, we do not know if they simply portray young girls or the Madonna herself. Usually she is shown as young, beautiful, chaste, and reverent. Nevertheless, her ethnic features are quite varied.

Although the bulk of this exhibition is European, there are a few very surprising exceptions from Africa and China. An Annunciation and Holy Family Pilgrim's Flask from China (Ming Dynasty, c. 1620, enamel on copper, catalog No. 28), a very rare object, shows the influence of the Jesuits in China. Interestingly, though the form and decoration on the flask are Chinese, the features of the figures appear occidental. Two figures of Guanyin, the Chinese goddess of mercy (catalog Nos. 24 and 25, also late Ming, 1580-1640) were intended as a kind of Bodhisattva. However, since Guanyin grants couples children and appears here holding a child, European travelers to China interpreted these as Madonna-and-child figures, commissioning Chinese artists to make them in a variety of media to bring back to Europe. The two here are ivory and bronze; both have Chinese features. A Goan (trading city on the west coast of India) sandalwood Christ with Sacred Heart (catalog No. 108) is also surprising and unusual, using stylized Indian patterns combined with Greco-Roman traditions.

Virgin in Prayer, Africa. Ivory, first half of 20th century. (Photo by Sandor Acs © 2001 American Bible Society)

One portrait made of rock crystal, putatively of the veiled Virgin Mary (catalog No. 112), dates from around the 12th or 13th century and looks distinctly Egyptian in style and physiognomy. The catalogue admits, however, that more research is needed to determine facts about this rare piece.

Another stunning and unusual figure is an African ivory of a so-called Virgin in Prayer (catalog No. 114), from the first half of the 20th century. Her features are distinctly African. Dressed in clerical garb (which points toward an identification as the Madonna), she stands less than a foot high, in complete devoutness and serenity.

The exhibition at the American Bible Society provides the Lincoln Center community with a rare opportunity to view first-rate, old-master sculpture in a variety of media. A beautiful, fully illustrated, scholarly catalog is available. The gallery is free of charge, and a short walk from Juilliard at 1865 Broadway (at 61st Street). Hours are Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.. The exhibition continues through November 16. There will be three special events: a curator's tour from 6-7 p.m. on September 26; "Connoisseurship and Collecting," a lecture by Michael Hall (from whose collection these works are borrowed) from 6-7 p.m. on October 17; and a full-day symposium on November 2, called "Multiple Faces of Jesus and Mary."

Watch for future exhibitions at the gallery—especially one on stained glass, scheduled for December 13 through March 15, 2003.