Maria Regina : transformations of an early Byzantine image in late eighth-century Rome

The iconographic type of Mary as Maria Regina was particularly popular in Rome, and as many as three images of Maria Regina survive from the latter part of the eighth century. Mary the Queen is depicted in full imperial regalia with a rich crown, sumptuous garments, and purple shoes. The early eighth-century examples are the mural of Pope Hadrian i (r. 772–795) in the atrium of the basilica of Santa Maria Antiqua, the painted niche in the lower church of San Clemente, and the fragmentary remnants of a monumental composition discovered in the early 1990s in Santa Susanna. Various images of Maria Regina found in Rome are traditionally seen as forming a coherent group and demonstrating an uninterrupted historical development. This paper argues, however, that there are significant differences in the rendering, function, choice of setting, and formal characteristics of the earliest examples of this iconography (i.e., created before the 730s) and later versions. The study of Maria Regina images may help to reconstruct the artistic environment and primary objectives of the donors who commissioned the decorations in Rome's churches in the second half of the eighth century. This, in turn, could lead to improved evaluation of the changes and transformative stages occurring around the year 800.