Romanesque Enthroned Virgin. Burgundy 12th century.

Large enthroned Virgin from the Romanesque period in polychrome wood. This unpublished Virgin and Child is part of the corpus of Romanesque Virgins from Burgundy. Mary is seated on a throne and carries the crowned Child on her knees, in an off-center position. The Virgin is dressed in a long coat with straight folds, her head veiled under a low crown. This beautiful sculpture has retained its original polychromy and presents characteristics found on the examples known in Burgundy, and more particularly in Côte d'Or. The execution of the faces, the hands with very elongated fingers, evoke the Virgin of Viévy preserved at the museum of sacred art in Dijon and dated from the end of the 11th century. However, our sculpture presents differentiating elements placing it later in the 12th century, by the clothing details and the off-center position of Christ.

If it retains features from the very beginning of the 12th century, the general design, the hairstyles and the position of Christ bring it closer to the Virgin in Majesty preserved at the Hôtel-Dieu museum in Beaune (second part of the 12th century, Inv. 87 GHD 309) and coming from the surroundings of Pommard. Our sculpture can thus be dated to the end of the 12th century. The back is flat and not hollowed. No restoration of the work.
Provenance: in a family from Côte d'Or for several generations.
Books consulted: Romanesque wood sculpture in Burgundy, Nadia Bertoni Cren Stéphane Cren, 2020.

Origin: Burgundy, France.

Medium: Polychrome wood.

Size: H: 74 cm without modern base.

Period: 12th century.

Condition: Visible losses, alterations at the bottom.

Price: on demand

Ref.252