Seated Virgin and Child

Unknown

ca. 1300–1350 · Walnut, paint, gilt · The Cloisters

The elegant drapery folds, pitched knees, and engaging expression of this Virgin are characteristic of the Gothic Style of fourteenth-century France. The Virgin is represented as an idealized court lady, with a high waist, a high forehead, and delicate features; the Christ Child is depicted as a chubby-cheeked, playful infant. This sculpture is said, without confirmation, to come from the Royal Abbey of Saint-Denis, north of Paris.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1300–1350

Medium

Walnut, paint, gilt

Culture

French

Department

The Cloisters

Credit line

The Cloisters Collection, 1925