Crowned Madonna With Child - île De France Ca. 1340/1360

Crowned Madonna with Child. 
île De France Ca. 1340/1360

This Madonna displays the typical characteristics of the “International Style”.

The “International Style” in the Middle Ages refers to International Gothic, an art movement in the visual arts (painting and sculpture) that flourished between 1380 and 1430, during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. Characteristic features include slender, idealised figures with soft lines, detailed rendering of fabrics, a new, more realistic representation of nature and characters, and the presence of more secular subjects. The style spread throughout Europe from Burgundy and northern France.

This Madonna and Child wears a long bodice and ceinture, over which is a cloak held together by a brooch (stone = cristal de roche).

The child, like the mother, has a typical 14th-century smile. We see a mother who is happy and joyful with her child. There is a clear interaction between the mother and the child, who places his hand on his mother's chest. 
This is a French sculpture – a so-called “Sedes”.
Remnants of the polychromy are original.
This sculpture was probably made from walnut wood.

The right hand is missing, the left foot is damaged, and there is normal wear and tear, especially on the pedestal.
The stone (cristal de roche) is of a later date. The sculpture has been cleaned to reveal the original polychromy.

Provenance:
Collection Valstar - Utrecht (The Netherlands)
Purchased at "PAN Amsterdam" - De Backker Medieval Art