Artist Statement: The Immaculate Heart of Mary is a Catholic devotional name used to refer to the Catholic view of the interior life of Mary, mother of Jesus, her joys and sorrows, her virtues and hidden perfections, and, above all, her virginal love for God the Father, her maternal love for her son Jesus Christ, and her motherly and compassionate love for all mankind. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is tied to a passage from the Gospel of Luke that speaks of Mary’s heart, “so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed — and a sword will pierce your soul as well.” (Luke 2:35). Further references to Mary’s heart are found in Chapter 2 of St. Luke's gospel where the evangelist twice reports that Mary kept all things in her heart, that there she might ponder over them. Luke 2:35 recounts the prophecy of Simeon that her heart would be pierced with a sword.
Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is an ancient custom from the 17th century, when artists began creating images of Mary with her heart on fire, as in the primitive Spanish carved wood Santos at the center of this piece. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is the source of Our Lady’s burning love for God and her desire to bring souls to her Son. The Feast of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary is commemorated on the Saturday following the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ.