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Virgin and Child

Attributed to Alexander of Abingdon British
ca. 1275–1325
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 305
Discovered only in the 1980s in Newbury (Berkshire), this imposing sculpture is closely related to the figural decoration on the famed wayside crosses erected along the route of the funeral procession of Queen Eleanor of Castile, the beloved wife of Edward I, who died in 1290. Alexander of Abingdon, the leading sculptor of the court, created some of them.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Virgin and Child
  • Artist: Attributed to Alexander of Abingdon (British, active 1291–1317)
  • Date: ca. 1275–1325
  • Culture: British
  • Medium: Caen Limestone
  • Dimensions: Overall: 59 1/4 x 19 3/8 x 11 3/4 in. (150.5 x 49.2 x 29.8 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture-Stone
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Edward J. Gallagher Jr. Bequest, in memory of his father, Edward Joseph Gallagher, his mother, Ann Hay Gallagher, and his son, Edward Joseph Gallagher III; and Caroline Howard Hyman Gift, 2003
  • Object Number: 2003.456
  • Curatorial Department: Medieval Art and The Cloisters

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