Mater Domini, 1997

William Hart McNichols, SJ (1949– )

Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Commissioned by the Jesuit Community, Boston College

St. Mary’s Chapel, Boston College

McNichols was the University’s iconographer-in-residence in 1996–1997. Mater Domini is a rendition of 13th-century mosaic of the Blessed Virgin of the same name, in the Basilica of St. Paul Outside-the-Walls, in Rome. St. Ignatius Loyola and five of his companions—Laynez, Salmerón, Broët, Le Jay, Codure—made their first public vows in front of the original image in the basilica on August 22, 1541. The McNichols icon is modeled on one of the most enduring icon types, the Hodegetria—the Virgin who, by indicating the Child, “shows the way.” Because icons depict a holy presence, they avoid evocations of the temporal physical world. Instead, backgrounds are dematerialized with shimmering gold, settings are schematized, and figures often appear timeless and static. Read about McNichols at Boston College or click here to see more images of his work.