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SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE: Design Trends of the Mid-20th Century

By Donald-Brian Johnson

“MOM’S THE WORD: MADONNAS FOR MOTHER’S DAY”

“M” is for the million things she gave me,

Mom. Artists of every sort have always found her fair game. There’ve been moms in song
(“My Mammy”). Moms in story (“Mommie Dearest”). Moms on stage (“Mamma Mia!”), on
screen (“I Remember Mama”), and on television (“My Mother, The Car”). Of course, some
depictions were more successful, (and more flattering), than others.

“O” means only that she’s growing old,

Over the years however, the most time-honored and heartwarming representation has been
the Madonna. With or without the Christ Child in tow, the image of Mary was a particular
favorite of artists during the medieval and Renaissance eras. Since no contemporary
illustrations existed, each artist envisioned the Madonna according to his or her own
imagination, incorporating individual concepts of motherhood, and prevailing artistic trends
of the time.

“T” is for the tears were shed to save me,

Twentieth-century artisans were also inspired by the Madonna concept. During the
1940s and ‘50s, almost every well-known ceramics firm included a Madonna figurine in
its inventory, (although many remained on store shelves). As Reuben Sand, founder of
Madison’s Ceramic Arts Studio later recalled, “we just did not do well with the religious
stuff. Except ‘St. Francis’. He was always a good seller.”
Nowadays, collectors are drawn to ceramic Madonnas for their innate
beauty, and their endless variations on a single theme, as interpreted
by a wide variety of artists. Compare a glamorous Betty Lou Nichols
Madonna, for instance, with an abstract by Howard Pierce. Both
approach their subject from widely different perspectives, yet both
offer valid interpretations, spotlighting each artist’s individual
technique and style.

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SHOWN LEFT: Joy Thompson Madonna.
11” h., $200-225.
ABOVE: An unmarked, crowned Madonna, atypically
unveiled. 5” h., $25-50.
RIGHT: Unmarked Madonna flower bowl. 8” h., $25-35.