The Blessed Virgin and the Christ-Child

01/2008

The sitting statuette of Virgin Mary and eight other figures of a different set were purchased by the Hungarian National Museum thanks to the support of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage in 2001. It is likely that the pieces were used in a Hungarian church but their origin is unknown. Although the Christ-Child was missing from the Nativity crib we managed to complement it with the proper figure of Giuseppe Cesarini, the sculptor and instaurator whose workshop is in the famous Nativity crib maker's street, the Via San Gregorio Armeno in Naples. He made up the broken figures and cleaned the glazed terracotta body. The figurine is the gift of the Italian Cultural Institute of Budapest and Naples County to the Hungarian National Museum. It is on display during the Christmas period. One of the most intimate themes of Christian art is the presentation of the Blessed Virgin and the Christ-Child. In 431 A.D. the Synod of Ephesus decided for the veneration of Virgin Mary as the "Mother of God" or "Theotokos" (word of Greek origin) however similar representations are known from the 3rd century as well.

The statuette which was probably created in the late 18th or early 19th century characterized by deep emotions. The Madonna is painted in green and brown, sitting on a wooden stool and set on a wooden foot. Her body is oakum rolled on iron wire, while her head is glazed pottery with glass-paste eyes and the finely carved and painted hands, feet are made of wood. The figure was conserved by Enikő Sipos. Mary's plain woven dress is pink, thickly pleated and a thin ribbon gathers its waist. Underneath a white, lace edging cotton-linen chemise can be seen. The pink silk cuffs are decorated with lace edging and emphasizing the artistic gestures of the fine fingers. Her blue silk cloak covers the veiled head and shoulders. Her head is turned to one side, glancing down. The brown hair is parted in the middle and the knot of hair is decorated with a fine light blue, painted, terracotta ribbon. She has high forehead, thin straight nose, and slanted eyes while an ascetic smile is lurking on her lips. She is holding the chubby Baby Jesus on her lap who is smiling joyfully on Mary while hoisting his fingers for blessing. According to the Nativity crib's scenes his figure can be set in different postures. At the representation of Nativity and homage of shepherds he is lying on a thin veil in a crib lined with straw. Later, when he is receiving the homage of the Three Magi he is sitting on Mary's lap. Originally the terracotta figure might have been kept in position with a small pin, a fine stick and the hole on the back attests this notion. The glories have been lost but once they were made of metal and set into the holes on the figures' head.