Queen of Heaven in Catholic art

The depiction of the Virgin Mary as the Queen of Heaven has been a popular subject in Catholic art for centuries.

[1] The earliest known Roman depiction of "Santa Maria Regina", depicting the Virgin Mary as a queen, dates to the 6th century and is found in the modest church of Santa Maria Antiqua ("ancient St. Mary") built in the 5th century in the Forum Romanum.

[6] In the early 16th century, Protestant reformers began to discourage Marian art, and some, like John Calvin and Zwingli, even encouraged its destruction.

National interpretations existed in France as well, where Jean Fouquet painted the Queen of Heaven in 1450 with the face of the mistress of King Charles VII.

The veneration of Mary as queen continues into the 21st century, but artistic expressions do not have a leading role as in previous times.