Created as an object of private devotion, this group is a strikingly pure expression of the Schöne Stil, or Beautiful Style, an artistic idiom that emerged at the imperial court in Prague at the end of the fourteenth century and subsequently resonated in artistic centers throughout Europe. The sculptor combines an almost mimetic rendering of detail and a selectively abstract treatment of surfaces. Christ's broken, emaciated body, naked except for the loincloth, offers a stark contrast to the Virgin's youthful figure, clad in abundant folds. The blending of sensuality and restraint gives this sculpture immediate emotional appeal.
