Madonna

Madonna (Madonna Louise Ciccone) (mədŏn`ə, chĭkō`nē), 1958–, American pop singer and actress, b. Bay City, Mich. She trained as a dancer at the Univ. of Michigan before moving to New York City to begin her music and dance career. Her albums Madonna (1983) and Like a Virgin (1984) secured her position as a sexual and pop icon. In 1985 she won critical praise for her part in the Hollywood film Desperately Seeking Susan. Truth or Dare (1991) was a revealing backstage performance film that paved the way for her book Sex (1992), which garnered enormous publicity. She has her own recording company and produces her own films and videos.

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Madonna

The Grand-Duke's Madonna, oil painting by Raphael, 1505; in the Pitti …

(credit: Scala/Art Resource, New York)

In Christian art, a depiction of the Virgin Mary. Though often shown with the infant Jesus, the Madonna (Italian: “My lady”) may also be represented alone. Byzantine art was the first to develop a set of Madonna types—the Madonna and child enthroned, the Madonna as intercessor, the Madonna nursing the child, and so on. Western art adapted and added to the Byzantine types during the Middle Ages, producing images of the Virgin that sought to inspire piety through beauty and tenderness. In the Renaissance and Baroque periods, the most popular image of the Madonna foreshadowed the crucifixion, showing the Virgin looking gravely away from the playful child.

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Madonna

 orig. Madonna Louise Ciccone

(born Aug. 16, 1958, Bay City, Mich., U.S.) U.S. pop singer, songwriter, and actress. She studied dance at the University of Michigan and later with Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey. Her first hit single, “Holiday” (1983), forged an upbeat dance-club sound that sold 70 million albums by 1991, including Like a Virgin (1984). In music videos and in concert, she captivated fans and scandalized critics with provocatively sexual showmanship. Ever atop the latest trend, she incorporated techno in Music (2000). Her films include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), and Evita (1996). Few female entertainers have attained her levels of power and control in the pop music industry.

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Madonna¹

full name Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone. born 1958, US rock singer and film actress. Her records include "Like a Virgin" (1985), "Like a Prayer" (1989), Ray of Light (1998), and Music (2000). Her films include Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), and Evita (1996)

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Madonna²

1. Chiefly RC Church a designation of the Virgin Mary

2. a picture or statue of the Virgin Mary