Madonna In A History Of The Breast

366 Words2 Pages
During the Middle Age period, European painters depicted Madonna as a sacred, yet mystical mother whose modesty, in terms of behavior and dress, was flourishing throughout the whole composition. The idealized image of Madonna as such served as an icon for the Christian woman who was taught from very little that carnal desires are vices that are meant to be punished. According to Marilyn Yalom, the author of A History of the Breast, for the medieval woman the female breast, “had a singular importance: it was the sign of attachment between mother and child, the link from one generation to the next, with all that implied in terms of rank, wealth, and moral responsibilities” (36). As a consequence, the medieval mother did not even think of the