Virgin and Child
Artist: School of Troyes (French)
Date: about 1500
Dimensions:
59 in. (149.9 cm)
Medium: limestone with traces of paint and gilding
Place of Origin: possibly Troyes, Burgundy, or Champagne, France
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1958.14
Label Text:The Virgin Mary, crowned as the Queen of Heaven, gazes down lovingly at the Christ Child while tenderly caressing her son’s foot. Jesus holds an apple, a symbol of his role as the redeemer of humanity’s Original Sin when Adam and Eve at the forbidden fruit. He looks out at the viewer, creating a tension between this quiet moment and an inner awareness of his role as both savior and sacrifice. The stone carver has masterfully activated the figures with the movement of the thick folds of drapery and the evident forward sway of Mary’s stance. The refined beauty of the figures and emphasis on the intimate relationship between mother and child is characteristic of Gothic art.
On view
In Collection(s)