Virgin and Child

The small scale and domestic character of this statuette indicate that it was used for personal devotion. Mary is presented as a down-to-earth mother playing with her child. Her long, uncovered hair, a style appropriate to a virgin (a married woman wore her hair covered), refers to the miracle of her perpetual virginity even after the birth of Christ. Her garments and simple wooden stool are humble; however the figure originally wore a crown and a jeweled brooch to hold her mantle, in anticipation of her future role as Queen of Heaven, while golden tassels or pearls once hung from the stool's cushions.

This blend of luxury and simplicity is typical of contemporary images of the Virgin which both aided the private devotions of the wealthy and complemented their refined tastes.

Provenance

Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.

Collection of Chanoine Sauvé, Laval Cathedral, until 1892; Raoul Heilbronner, Paris, by purchase (?); Jacques Seligmann, Paris [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1913, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.