Virgin and Child
Artist
French
Dateabout 1325–50
Mediumivory with traces of gilding and paint
Dimensions21.3 x 8.1 x 2.3 cm (8 3/8 x 3 3/16 x 7/8 in.)
ClassificationsIvories
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1940.27
Label TextBy the fourteenth century the great age of cathedral building was over and interest shifted from monumental sculpture to the production of devotional images, many of them inspired by the religious enthusiasm for the cult of the Virgin. No material was too rare of precious and the great centers of craftsmanship, such as Paris, produced exquisite little statues like this one. Though small in scale it possess those sculptural qualities that distinguish the finest large sculptures of the Gothic period. In the fourteenth century sculpture gradually assumed greater ease and movement when compared to that of the preceding Romanesque and high Gothic styles; figures begin to sway to one side as here where the body is curved like the letter S. The same tendency toward a more naturalistic expression of form may be observed in the youthful Mother, full of maternal affection and smiling grace, and the playful Child. The Virgin originally held in her right hand a scepter crowned by a lily, emblem of purity. Ivory carvings were generally enriched by gilding and often painted in bright colors. Traces of the border designs in the Virgin’s garments may be seen in this ivory although the gold has worn away.ProvenanceSaid to have been found in 1860 in the church of Lagny-sur-Marne and thereafter in a private collection in Nancy, France; purchased by Louis Carré, New York, in Nancy, France, before May 3, 1939; purchased by the Worcester Art Museum, 1940.On View
On view
1874