Artwork Page for Virgin and Child

Details / Information for Virgin and Child

Virgin and Child

c. 1395

Austria, Lungau, Church of Mariapfarr, late 14th century

Medium
cast stone with traces of original paint
Measurements
Overall: 101.9 cm (40 1/8 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1965.236
Public Domain
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Location
111 German and Austrian Gothic
Print

Description

This sculpture—damaged during the 1800s and now missing the figure of the Christ child—is a fine early example of the type known as the Schöne Madonna or "Beautiful Virgin." This type became popular around 1400 and emphasized the graceful curve of the Virgin’s posture combined with deep, slightly exaggerated drapery folds. This sculpture is known to have come from the Church of Mariapfarr in the Diocese of Salzburg. It was made using a casting technique known as "lost shape." The casting consisted of pulverized limestone combined with quicklime and milk curd poured into a mold. After the cementlike mixture set for several weeks, the mold was destroyed to remove the sculpture, which could then be filed, polished, and painted.
A weathered cast stone sculpture depicts the Virgin Mary standing and cradling a worn form representing the Christ child. Mary wears a crown over a veil and robes that fall in heavy, curved folds. Her left arm, on our right, is broken off at the elbow. The light gray, pitted surface shows cracks throughout, with remnants of original pigment visible within the deepest recesses of the fabric.

Virgin and Child

c. 1395

Austria, Lungau, Church of Mariapfarr, late 14th century

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