The wooden statue of the Mother and Child enthroned, known as sedes sapientiae, the Seat or Throne of Wisdom, reached the brilliant culmination of its development as a genre of religious sculpture in the twelfth century. As a visible expression of the mystery of Incarnation, its iconography dated back to the early church. Translated by the Romanesque sculptor into a fully plastic, freestanding form, its style conveys convincingly the medieval vision of humanity and divinity interfused. The recent cleaning and restoration of a number of these wood-carved figures of the Madonna in Majesty has now made possible a full appraisal of the genre. Mrs. Forsyth's discussion examines the character, function, iconography, and history of the statues; distinguishes types and regional styles; considers their role within the broader context of medieval art; and assesses their artistic merit. Her register of principal examples includes 110 sculptures dating from twelfth century France, some of which have never been published before. 192 illustrations accompany the text. Ilene H. Forsyth is Associate Professor in the Department of the History of Art, at the University of Michigan. Originally published in 1972. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
The Brummer Collection of Medieval Art in the Duke University Museum of Art is one of the finest to be found in any American university museum. It is remarkable for its breadth and the variety of objects represented, with works varying in scale from monumental stone pieces to small-scale objects in wood, ivory, or metal, and ranging from the seventh to eighth centuries through the sixteenth century. This fine catalog makes available for the first time this rich but little-known collection. Five studies by leading art scholars focus on key works in the collection and contribute to a new understanding of the origins of many of the pieces. Two introductory essays comment on the character of the collection as a whole, its acquisition by Duke University, and its conservation. Finally, the catalog section discusses the more important pieces in the collection and is followed by a checklist of entries and smaller photographs of all other objects. Contributors. Ilene H. Forsyth, Jean M. French, Dorothy F. Glass, Dieter Kimpel, Jill Meredith, Linda S. Roundhill
The wooden statue of the Mother and Child enthroned, known as sedes sapientiae, the Seat or Throne of Wisdom, reached the brilliant culmination of its development as a genre of religious sculpture in the twelfth century. As a visible expression of the mystery of Incarnation, its iconography dated back to the early church. Translated by the Romanesque sculptor into a fully plastic, freestanding form, its style conveys convincingly the medieval vision of humanity and divinity interfused. The recent cleaning and restoration of a number of these wood-carved figures of the Madonna in Majesty has now made possible a full appraisal of the genre. Mrs. Forsyth's discussion examines the character, function, iconography, and history of the statues; distinguishes types and regional styles; considers their role within the broader context of medieval art; and assesses their artistic merit. Her register of principal examples includes 110 sculptures dating from twelfth century France, some of which have never been published before. 192 illustrations accompany the text. Ilene H. Forsyth is Associate Professor in the Department of the History of Art, at the University of Michigan. Originally published in 1972. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
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