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Bust of the Virgin

ca. 1390–95
On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 14
With regal elegance and a tender face, this image of the Virgin constituted the upper portion of a standing or enthroned figure that would have been accompanied by the child Jesus. Artists working in clay would normally divide a large sculpture horizontally with a wire before firing to ensure that it dried evenly. The sections would then be reassembled with mortar disguised under the paint. This is the only terracotta sculpture attributed to medieval Prague.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Bust of the Virgin
  • Date: ca. 1390–95
  • Geography: Made in Prague, Bohemia
  • Culture: Bohemian
  • Medium: Terracotta with paint
  • Dimensions: 12 13/16 x 8 13/16 x 5 7/16 in. (32.5 x 22.4 x 13.8 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Ceramics
  • Credit Line: The Cloisters Collection, 2005
  • Object Number: 2005.393
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

Audio

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138. Bust of the Virgin

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Bust of the Virgin - Bohemian - The Metropolitan Museum of Art