Bikira Maria katika sanaa anajitokeza sana (hasa katika uchoraji na uchongaji) tangu zamani sana (karne ya 2 na ya 3) kulingana na maendeleo ya heshima ya Wakristo kwake[1] hasa baada ya Mtaguso wa Efeso (431) uliokubali jina "Mama wa Mungu" kuwa sahihi[2].
Kwa kuwa ukuu wake mwenyewe unamtegemea tu Yesu Mwanae, mara nyingi wako pamoja (hasa katika Ukristo wa Mashariki), lakini pengine anaonyeshwa peke yake.
Michoro yake ya kale zaidi inapatikana katika makatakombu ya Roma[3], ingawa inasimuliwa (hasa Mashariki) kuwa Mwinjili Luka alimchora Bikira Maria akiwa hai.
Namna za kumchora baadaye zilitofautiana sana upande wa Ukristo wa Magharibi wakati wa Renaissance (Duccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Giovanni Bellini, Caravaggio na Rubens) na baadaye (Salvador Dalí na Henry Moore), kumbe upande wa Mashariki wasanii waliendelea kuzingatia vielelezo vilivyokubalika kimapokeo.
Muhammad alipotakasa Kaaba kwa kuondoa sanamu na michoro yote, aliokoa ile ya Bikira Maria na mtoto Yesu na Abrahamu[4][5][6][7].
Quraysh had put pictures in the Ka'ba including two of Jesus son of Mary and Mary (on both of whom be peace!). ... The apostle ordered that the pictures should be erased except those of Jesus and Mary.
When Muhammad ordered his men to cleanse the Kaaba of the statues and pictures displayed there, he spared the paintings of the Virgin and Child and of Abraham.