There are many pieces of art showing the Virgin Mary and baby Jesus. This one is my favorite from what I have recently seen. This statue is silver-gilt and happens to have been donated to the abbey church of Saint-Denis by Queen Jeanne d' Évreux, the same queen who put her Book of Hours in her will.
It looks so much more realistic than many of the other similar figures. For one thing, Mary has a natural pose, shifting her weight to her left side while carrying Jesus in her left arm, called a Gothic S-curve, how most women carry their babies. Mary also looks so calm and peaceful, even though in her right hand she is carrying a fleur-de-lis to show that she is royalty. I love the flowing detail of her dress; it makes it look so real.
In this statue, baby Jesus looks much more like an infant; in many other paintings and sculptures of Mary and Jesus, baby Jesus almost always looks like a small, grown man. I like how Jesus is reaching for his mother and is active, as a real baby would be; I enjoy the interaction between mother and son. In his left hand, Jesus is holding an apple to refer to his role as the New Adam who is sacrificed on the cross to forgive our sin, starting with Eve's and Adam's eating of the forbidden fruit.
On the base that Mary is standing on, there are little statues of prophets and 14 scenes from Christ's infancy and passion to remind us of his suffering to come.
An amazing piece. I wouldn't mind having one of these in my home! :)
