Attributed to Claus de Werve / Virgin and Child / ca. 1420

Attributed to Claus de Werve
Virgin and Child
ca. 1420
View Larger Image

View Full Catalog Record Below

This image is one of over 108,000 from the AMICA Library (formerly The Art Museum Image Consortium Library- The AMICO Library™), a growing online collection of high-quality, digital art images from over 20 museums around the world. www.davidrumsey.com/amica offers subscriptions to this collection, the finest art image database available on the internet. EVERY image has full curatorial text and can be studied in depth by zooming into the smallest details from within the Image Workspace.

Preview the AMICA Library™ Public Collection in Luna Browser Now

Cultures and time periods represented range from contemporary art, to ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian works.
Types of works include paintings, drawings, watercolors, sculptures, costumes, jewelry, furniture, prints, photographs, textiles, decorative art, books and manuscripts.

Gain access to this incredible resource through either a monthly or a yearly subscription and search the entire collection from your desktop, compare multiple images side by side and zoom into the minute details of the images. Visit www.davidrumsey.com/amica for more information on the collection, click on the link below the revolving thumbnail to the right, or email us at amica@luna-img.com .

Creator Name: Werve, Claus de
Creator Role: Artist
Creator Dates/Places: Franco-Netherlandish, ca. 1380-1439, active in Burgundy, 1396-ca. 1439
Creator Name-CRT: Attributed to Claus de Werve
Title: Virgin and Child
View: Full View
Creation Start Date: 1410
Creation End Date: 1430
Creation Date: ca. 1420
Object Type: Sculpture
Classification Term: Sculpture-stone
Materials and Techniques: Limestone, polychromy, gilding
Dimensions: 53 3/8 x 41 1/8 in. (135.5 x 104.5 cm)
AMICA Contributor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Owner Location: New York, New York, USA
ID Number: 33.23
Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1933
Rights: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Context:

This monumental yet engagingly intimate image of the Virgin and Child was probably a gift of John the Fearless, duke of Burgundy (died 1419), or his wife Margaret of Bavaria (died 1424) to the convent they founded at Poligny dedicated to the Franciscan Order of Poor Clares. This is one of four large sculptures from Poligny in the Museum's collection. As court sculptor in Dijon, the influential artist Claus de Werve (active 1396-ca. 1439) created many works for his patrons, and this is certainly one of his masterpieces. Its original position in the convent is unknown, but the sculpture was probably installed in the area reserved for the devotions of the nuns. In this tender portrayal, Mary's role as a personification of Wisdom is evoked by the open book on Christ's lap. In contrast to the warmth of the depiction of mother and son, the biblical inscription on the bench reminds us of Christ's fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy: "From the beginning, and before the world, was I created..." (Ecclesiasticus 24:14).

AMICA ID: MMA_.33.23
AMICA Library Year: 2000
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright The Metropolitan Museum of Art

AMICA PUBLIC RIGHTS: a) Access to the materials is granted for personal and non-commercial use. b) A full educational license for non-commercial use is available from Cartography Associates at www.davidrumsey.com/amica/institution_subscribe.html c) Licensed users may continue their examination of additional materials provided by Cartography Associates, and d) commercial rights are available from the rights holder.