Virgin and Child
Statuette
ca. 1280-1300 (made)
ca. 1280-1300 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
During the 13th century, Paris became Europe’s leading centre for ivory carving. The white colour and lustrous surface of ivory suited the Gothic taste for delicacy and refinement. Touches of colour emphasised the sheen of the unpainted areas. The clearly affectionate relationship between the Virgin and Christ is typical of the Gothic style.
This is one of the finest seated Virgin and Child statuettes. Stylistically it occupies a transitional position between the best works of the third quarter of the thirteenth century, such as the Sainte-Chapelle Virgin in the Louvre and the so-called 'Frigolet Virgin' now in the Thomson Collection in Toronto.
Three dimensional images of the Virgin and Child were ubiquitous from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, produced in a wide range of materials and sizes and testifying the overwhelming devotion to th Virgin. Together with the Crucifixion, statues and statuettes of the Virgin and Child were the pricipal objects of devotion in the Christian Church, and vast numbers were made for ecclesisastical, monastic and private worship.
This is one of the finest seated Virgin and Child statuettes. Stylistically it occupies a transitional position between the best works of the third quarter of the thirteenth century, such as the Sainte-Chapelle Virgin in the Louvre and the so-called 'Frigolet Virgin' now in the Thomson Collection in Toronto.
Three dimensional images of the Virgin and Child were ubiquitous from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, produced in a wide range of materials and sizes and testifying the overwhelming devotion to th Virgin. Together with the Crucifixion, statues and statuettes of the Virgin and Child were the pricipal objects of devotion in the Christian Church, and vast numbers were made for ecclesisastical, monastic and private worship.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Virgin and Child (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Elephant ivory |
| Brief description | Statuette, ivory, The Virgin and Child, France (Paris), ca. 1280-1300 |
| Physical description | Ivory statuette depicting the Virgin and Child. The Virgin, seated on a low throne, supports the Christ child on her left knee. The Child is shown playing with a bird, holding it by its open wings. The small bird (usually a goldfinch) often held by the Child in such groups alludes to Christ's future Passion because of that bird's fondness for thistle seed thus linking it to the Crown of Thorns. Here there is a possible allusion to Christ's Crucifixion in the outstretched wings of the bird. There are considerable remains of paint and gilding on the ivory: the hair of both the Virgin and the Child is gilded, the borders of the Virgin's robe retain extensive traces of a gilded pattern, and her belt is decorated with green and gilt bands. The inside of the Virgin's robe was originally painted, but of this only a faint staining remains, and the inside of the child's tunic is red. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Possibly to be identified with an ivory in the Sommeson collection until 1848, sold 25 January 1848, lot 123; Rattier collection, Paris until 1859; bought by John Webb, London at the Rattier sale, Paris, 21-24 March 1859, lot 192; purchased from John Webb in 1867. Historical significance: The Seated Virgin seems to represent a transitional point between the first High Gothic Virgins of the third quarter of the thirteenth century and the later group, which testifies to the longevity of the basic type of Virgin and Child between 1260 and 1340. |
| Historical context | The Virgin came to occupy a central role in late medieval spirituality. Numerous figures of the Virgin in ivory survive. Some were originally set in ivory tabernacles. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | During the 13th century, Paris became Europe’s leading centre for ivory carving. The white colour and lustrous surface of ivory suited the Gothic taste for delicacy and refinement. Touches of colour emphasised the sheen of the unpainted areas. The clearly affectionate relationship between the Virgin and Christ is typical of the Gothic style. This is one of the finest seated Virgin and Child statuettes. Stylistically it occupies a transitional position between the best works of the third quarter of the thirteenth century, such as the Sainte-Chapelle Virgin in the Louvre and the so-called 'Frigolet Virgin' now in the Thomson Collection in Toronto. Three dimensional images of the Virgin and Child were ubiquitous from the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries, produced in a wide range of materials and sizes and testifying the overwhelming devotion to th Virgin. Together with the Crucifixion, statues and statuettes of the Virgin and Child were the pricipal objects of devotion in the Christian Church, and vast numbers were made for ecclesisastical, monastic and private worship. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 200-1867 |
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| Record created | January 13, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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