madonna
n. countablen. a picture or statue of Mary, the mother of Jesus. You usually see this word when people talk about famous paintings from the past.
n. a representation of the Virgin Mary in art, typically depicted as a painting or sculpture. When used in this sense, it is often preceded by the definite article.
The museum has a famous Madonna by Raphael.
Art historians spent years restoring the 15th-century Madonna to reveal the original vibrant blue of her robes.
The exhibition traces the evolution of the Madonna through the Renaissance, showing how artists moved from stiff Byzantine icons to more human, naturalistic portrayals of motherhood.
From Italian madonna, from Old Italian ma (“my”) + donna (“lady”). The given name is derived from the English term, not used as a given name in Italy. Doublet of madam.
Usually capitalised; often takes the definite article when referring to a specific artwork.