Virgin and Child on a Crescent Moon

Unknown

ca. 1480 · Limewood with paint · The Cloisters

Carved in high relief, this sculpture was undoubtedly the focal group in the central shrine of a large winged altarpiece of a type that flourished in southern Germany and Austria in the late Gothic period. The image of the Virgin on a crescent moon reflects the vision of Saint John (Apocalypse 12:1): “a woman clothed in the sun, and the moon was under her feet.” The orb held by Christ signifies his role as spiritual ruler of the world, while the grapes in his mother’s hand symbolize the wine of the Mass.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1480

Medium

Limewood with paint

Culture

German

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 1984