Statues of the Virgin Mary holding the Christ Child were among the most beloved images of the Middle Ages. Carved in wood, stone, marble and alabaster, or cast in bronze, they stood on altars, in chapels and in homes, and they show how the image changed over time: from the solemn, enthroned Mother of God of the Romanesque period, who presents her Son like a throne of wisdom, to the tender, smiling Gothic Virgin and the warm, human mothers of Renaissance Florence.
Here are twelve examples from the collection, arranged from the 1100s to the late 1400s, all in the public domain. Click any title to see the full post with the museum's description, or use the download link under each image.
