La Virgen y el Niño entronizados

ca. 1175–1200
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 304
Esta composición no es solo la imagen de una madre y su hijo, puesto que el hierático Cristo Niño sentado en el regazo de la Virgen personifica la sabiduría divina. Para reforzar el mensaje, originalmente Jesús sostenía un libro en la mano. La austera belleza de la escultura es aparente en las líneas rítmicas de la vestimenta de la Virgen, el delicado velo que enmarca su cara y las trazas remanentes de pintura, en especial en el cojín verde. Imágenes similares se usaban como objetos de devoción y se llevaban en procesiones religiosas. Es probable que esta escultura fuera un relicario, ya que tiene dos cavidades, una detrás del hombro y otra en el pecho de la Virgen.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Título: La Virgen y el Niño entronizados
  • Fecha: ca. 1150–1200
  • Geografía: Francia, Auvernia
  • Cultura: Francia
  • Material: Madera de nogal, pintura, enlucido de yeso, lino
  • Dimensiones: 79,5 x 31,7 x 29,2 cm
  • Crédito: Donación de J. Pierpont Morgan, 1916
  • Número de inventario: 16.32.194a, b
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

Audio

Solo disponible en: English
Cover Image for 82. Virgin and Child in Majesty, Part 1

82. Virgin and Child in Majesty, Part 1

Gallery 304

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ED VESSEL: The brain is intimately attuned to the minute differences in shape and arrangement of the hands. For example, understanding the particular meaning conveyed by particular hand grasps.

NARRATOR: Due to the condition of this sculpture, some important hand gestures have been lost.

GRIFFITH MANN: You see the hands of the Virgin Mary reaching around to hold the Christ Child, but Christ's arms and hands are missing. His right hand, which is extended towards us, would have been making a gesture of blessing, with two fingers raised up. And then his left hand probably would have been holding a book representing the Word made Flesh in the figure of Christ.

MELANIE HOLCOMB: The hand is a powerful symbol for a Medieval viewer. Many, many images from the Middle Ages will sometimes only represent God by a hand, because the hand suggests that we can't understand the whole body, the whole outline of God.

NARRATOR: Learn about this sculpture’s context. Press play.

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