The Immaculate Conception (Peter Paul Rubens)

The Immaculate Conception is a central doctrine of the Catholic Church which teaches that the Virgin Mary, from the first moment of her existence, was preserved by God from the stain of original sin. This unique grace was granted in view of her role as the mother of Jesus Christ. The doctrine is one of the Church’s four solemn dogmas regarding Mary. Although early Christian writers hinted at Mary’s exceptional holiness, the question of her sinlessness was debated for centuries by medieval theologians. It was not formally defined as Catholic dogma until 1854, when Pope Pius IX proclaimed it in the papal bull Ineffabilis Deus. Prior to this, the Council of Trent (1545–1563) affirmed Mary’s personal sinlessness but did not definitively address her status regarding original sin.

The doctrine inspired devotion and theological reflection long before it became official teaching. It appeared frequently in religious literature, though its abstract, theological nature meant it was slower to emerge as a visual theme in Christian art. When artists did take up the subject, Mary was typically portrayed standing in glory, often with her arms outstretched or hands joined in prayer, clothed in light, and symbolically triumphant over sin. 
One notable artistic depiction is by Peter Paul Rubens, who presents Mary crushing a serpent beneath her feet, a traditional symbol of victory over original sin and evil, reflecting the theological meaning at the heart of the Immaculate Conception.
Her feast day is celebrated on December 8 across the Catholic world.

Reactions outside the Catholic tradition have varied. Many Protestant communities rejected the doctrine as lacking explicit biblical support, though some Anglo-Catholic and High Church Anglicans regard it as a meaningful devotional belief rather than binding dogma.