Spanish school of the 14th century

Spanish school of the 14th century.
"Virgin with child" (fragment).
Polychrome alabaster.
Original polychrome.
Measurements: 50 x 36 x 24 cm.

Gothic sculpture made of carved and polychrome wood that represents the invocation of the Virgin of the Milk or the Good Milk. In the carving we can appreciate the figure of the Virgin as a throne of the Child, who does not show himself to the spectator, but turns his back to her. It should be noted that during this period the representations of the Virgin and Child, used to be hieratic without any contact between them, however, in this work Mary tilts her head slightly downward, and seems to outline a slight smile so that a relationship is established that goes beyond the Virgin as the throne of the Child. As for the technique, it stands out for its rigidity, so characteristic of the period, although the fold of the Virgin's mantle over the knee indicates a certain movement and play of volume. It should be noted that the rear area is barely worked, indicating that this is a work that probably belonged to a larger sculptural clique.
Also known as the nourishing Virgin or wet nurse, Virgin of the Rest or of the Good Rest, Virgin of Bethlehem or of the grotto of Bethlehem; it is an invocation and an iconography of the Virgin Mary, in which she is represented in the act of suckling the Baby Jesus. This representation has had various developments in sacred art, such as painting, sculpture and the particular iconography of the Orthodox Church.The representation of the Virgin suckling the infant Jesus is mentioned by Pope Gregory the Great, a mosaic with this representation probably dating from the twelfth century is found on the facade of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, although a few other examples from the early Middle Ages still survive. It is considered that this invocation may be a syncretism of the mother-goddesses, in particular of the goddess Isis suckling Horus, and probably the earliest images appeared in Coptic art. The Milk Grotto is a place in Bethlehem, very close to the Basilica of the Nativity, where tradition says that the Virgin suckled the Child, and a drop spilled on a rock, which changed its color, becoming white. Because of this, stones from the grotto (made of calcium carbonate) were considered relics in the early centuries because, when diluted in water, the water took on the appearance of milk. The sanctuary erected in this place is used by women who ask the Virgin to improve the quality of their mother's milk. During the 15th century, Spanish sculpture pursued mainly didactic purposes, and its images were conceived as a visual narration, which should always be clearly legible. At this time, prior to the search for naturalism that would emerge during the Gothic period, the language is purely conceptual, and works on the basis of symbols and conventions accepted by all. In this sense, the carving is synthetic, representative rather than a reflection of the natural, as is the treatment of the face.