  
  About the Artwork
  
  
  A courtly Virgin Mary leans back slightly as she gazes adoringly at the young Jesus, who stands on her knee. The graceful curve of the ivory figure follows the shape of the elephant tusk from which this sculpture was carved. This swaying posture not only echoed the material realities of ivory but also inspired artists working in other media. Many figures painted or sculpted from the 1200s through the 1400s adopt a similar pose, which scholars today often describe as the &acirc;&#128;&#156;Gothic sway.&acirc;&#128;&#157; 
Although this artwork appears to be a freestanding sculpture of the Virgin and Child, its hollow back suggests that it was once part of a small shrine that would have been brightly painted and gilded. Traces of gold still cling to the borders of the sweeping robes and the Virgin&acirc;&#128;&#153;s hair, and the folds of her veil retain remnants of vibrant red pigment.
  
  
  Title
  Virgin and Child Enthroned
  
  
  Artwork Date
  14th century
  
  Artist
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  Life Dates
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  Nationality
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Definitions for nationality may vary significantly, depending on chronology and world events.
  Some definitions include:
  Belonging to a people having a common origin based on a geography and/or descent and/or tradition and/or culture and/or religion and/or language, or sharing membership in a legally defined nation.
  
  
  
  French
  
  
  
  Culture
  
  
  
  Please note:
  Cultures may be defined by the language, customs, religious beliefs, social norms, and material traits of a group.
  
  
  
  
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  Medium
  Ivory, with traces of polychromy and gilding
  
  
  Dimensions
  Overall (including base): 11 1/2 &Atilde;&#151; 5 3/4 &Atilde;&#151; 3 1/8 inches (29.2 &Atilde;&#151; 14.6 &Atilde;&#151; 7.9 cm)
  Overall (without base): 10 1/8 &Atilde;&#151; 4 1/8 &Atilde;&#151; 1 1/2 inches (25.7 &Atilde;&#151; 10.5 &Atilde;&#151; 3.8 cm)
  
  
  Classification
  Sculpture
  
  
  Department
  European Sculpture and Dec Arts
  
  
  Credit
  Founders Society Purchase, General Membership Fund
  
  
  
  Accession Number
  
  
  
  This unique number is assigned to an individual artwork as part of the cataloguing process at the time of entry into the permanent collection.
  Most frequently, accession numbers begin with the year in which the artwork entered the museum&acirc;&#128;&#153;s holdings.
  For example, 2008.3 refers to the year of acquisition and notes that it was the 3rd of that year. The DIA has a few additional systems&acirc;&#128;&#148;no longer assigned&acirc;&#128;&#148;that identify specific donors or museum patronage groups.
  
  
  
  64.71
  
  
  Copyright
  Public Domain
  
  
  
