Jerrilynn D. Dodds, who is currently Chair of History and Theory in the School of Architecture of the City College of the City University of New York, served as guest curator for Newark Museum's exhibit "Crowning Glory: Images of the Virgin Mary in the Arts of Portugal." She offers an overview and astute commentary on some of the 75 masterpieces in this collection. The paintings and sculptures are from medieval to modern times.
Mary the Mother of Jesus was given special significance in medieval Portugal; they designated her as Queen of the country. Dodds talks about the different images of Mary. In one painting, she has a crown of stars around her head signifying her role as a guiding light for the fishermen of the nation. In several others, Mary is a nurturing mother looking after Jesus with tenderness. She is also the Virgin of Sorrows, the Virgin of Fatima (providing serenity to believers), and the Virgin of the Rosary. The artists capture and convey the many important roles Mary has played in the lives of Portuguese Catholics. This excellent documentary provides a poetic and moving tribute to the devotion she has engendered in artists and in the hearts of all believers. Crowning Glory is produced and directed by Roberto Gutierrez.