Virgin And Child Art History Paper Essay

Sanu Samuel
Art History 1380
Dr. Costello (MWF 10-11:00)
November 02, 2009
Virgin and Child: A Detail Analysis
A.   Identification
The Menil Collection founded by John and Dominique de Menil, contain many varieties of “human creativity, cultural life, advocates of modern art, as well as architecture” which can be dated back to prehistoric times to the present day. As you enter the Menil exhibit, “which the collection is assembled over the course of many decades, which continues to grow( A pg 1),” the variety of artistic expressions of human history, is laid upon with overwhelming sensations and perception. Glancing through the many corridors, one finds themselves traveling through time, admiring the pieces of art work.
Once in the section of Christian Art, you are drawn to a collector’s piece called, Virgin and Child. The historical importance of this piece is that, it represents one of the few, but many symbolic figures which are valuable and significant to the Christian faith. The significance of the piece is that it represents Jesus as a child being in the arms of his mother, the Virgin Mary. The piece, which is sculpted completely in wood, can trace to the origins of Northern France around the second quarter of the 14th century. This period in the history of France (the Franks) is known as the Capetian Dynasty, which was mostly influenced by the movement of Gothic art. This type of art work, which shows images like the Virgin Mary “changed from the Byzantine iconic form to a more human and affectionate mother, cuddling her infant, swaying from her hip, and showing the refined manners of a well-born aristocratic courtly lady (C pg 1).”
B. Description & Formal Analysis
When at first glance, the sculpture portrays an image of a mother simply holding a child in her hands, but in actuality it shows a much deeper meaning than which is portrayed. This piece of art work depicts the still image of Virgin Mary and Jesus, the son of God, whom are significant...