Trinity

I.

In paintings she is the quintessential Madonna:

demure, deferential, her face painted with round features and soft colors,

a delicate oil on canvas,

a woman canonized with an angelic golden halo,

a shining icon of faith and purity.

In some depictions she wears an expression of pained piety on her face,

her eyes lifted pleadingly to the sky

as if searching for a freedom only providence can bring.

In other depictions her eyes look toward the ground in mourning.

She often holds one hand to her r...