Burgos School of the early 14th century

Burgos School; early 14th century.
“Virgin and Child.”
Carved and polychromed wood.
Accompanied by a study by Don Francisco Javier Montalvo Martín.
Shows signs of restoration and damage caused by wood-boring insects.
Measurements: 127 x 33 x 43 cm.
The carving depicts the Virgin Mary with her Son on her lap. It follows the “Sede Sapientiae” or “Throne of Wisdom” typology. Mary, seated facing the viewer, serves as the throne, the seat, or the seat of authority for Christ, the supreme embodiment of Wisdom. There is no emotional connection established between the two figures; rather, the majestic, regal aspect of both figures is emphasized. Christ, dressed in a long tunic, holds what appears to be a chest in one hand. Mary, for her part, is clad in a long tunic and a cloak that falls in folds to the floor. A veil covers her hair, framing her face, where a hint of a smile is visible; and although it is now obscured by the gesture of her hand, it is likely that she originally held a sphere—or the apple of Original Sin. In Christian exegesis, if Eve was the bringer of sin, Mary is her counterpoint, through whom salvation comes to humankind, thanks to her son, Jesus.
Aesthetically, the Gothic carving in question bears a close resemblance to French models of the time. It is a piece made entirely of wood, with some of its gilding lost; it is a half-relief, meaning that the back is not carved, as was customary, since the figures were designed to be part of a larger sculptural group intended to be viewed head-on by the viewer. We can therefore infer that it would have been mounted on a flat surface, likely as part of a sculptural altarpiece or attached to a mullion. Stylistically, it is a late Gothic piece, as indicated by the arrangement of Mary’s cloak, which, gathered on both sides of the waist, creates a V-shaped fold at the front. Widespread in Marian imagery since the 12th century, this type of representation underwent a series of changes during the second half of the 13th century that stemmed from monumental sculpture, especially following the innovations of the master of the Sarmental portal at Burgos Cathedral, who exerted a great influence, thereby establishing iconographic foundations that were widely accepted and transforming the city of Burgos into one of the country’s artistic epicenters, whose development and splendor would be reflected in later periods, crystallizing in the figure of Gil de Siloé.