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Enthroned Virgin

first half 14th century
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 14
This work is a rare surviving example of medieval sculpture in terracotta—no other Italian examples from the period exist today. The sketchiness of the modeling and the omission of figure of the Christ Child, among other details, suggest that the sculpture was most likely created as a workshop model rather than as a finished piece. It has been proposed that the terracotta was made as a goldsmith's model for the Virgin and Child group intended for the center of an altarpiece. The graceful pose of the Virgin, the rhythmic folds of drapery, and the delicate treatment of her face are consistent with the French-inspired style seen in Tuscany from the middle of the fourteenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Enthroned Virgin
  • Artist: Goro di Gregorio (Italian, Siena, active ca. 1300–1334)
  • Date: first half 14th century
  • Geography: Made in Tuscany, Italy
  • Culture: Italian
  • Medium: Terracotta
  • Dimensions: Overall: 17 5/8 x 10 x 9 1/2 in. (44.8 x 25.4 x 24.1 cm)
  • Classifications: Sculpture-Ceramics, Ceramics-Reliefs
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection and Rogers Fund, 1998
  • Object Number: 1998.214
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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