Virgin Mary and bare-breasted

The bared female breast of the Virgin Mary was considered a symbol of maternity , spirituality and humanity. The exposed flesh in these artworks of the Renaissance were not commonly considered offensive, or for that matter, a sexual or pleasurable reference. The act was a religious symbol, as was the cognitive style (see above) of the time; one that many who gazed upon it imagined that the breast was not only of the physical body, but a symbol of the divine. This was attributed much to the period eye (see above) – both men and women used such imagery as a means of gaining a higher spiritual self. As such, the bared breast could also function as hope during troubled times (much like the symbol of a mother giving life to a child through nourishment). The artworks were a tangible way of "imitatio Mariae", or imitation of the Virgin Mary, and of creating a scene praising the natural progression, prospering and nurturing aspects of life.