Jane Garnett, Fellow and Tutor in Modern History, Wadham College, Oxford and Gervase Rosser, Fellow and Tutor in the History of Art, St. Catherine’s College, Oxford, will explore the enduring Western belief in the supernatural power of images: that a statue or painting of the Madonna can fly through the air, speak, weep, or produce miraculous cures. Although contrary to widely held assumptions, the cults of particular paintings and statues held to be miraculous have persisted beyond the middle ages into the present. Drawing upon rich documentation from northwest Italy and elsewhere, they will show how these images “work” in a range of historical contexts. Engaging with the history, anthropology, and visual culture of images and religion, Garnett and Rosser will present a study of the continuing power of faith and art.