Virgin and Child 1325 - 1350

Guillem Seguer carved this polychromed alabaster sculpture of the Virgin and Child, with its surprisingly modern lines, some time in the 15th century. Seguer was working in the Catalonia region of Spain. At this moment in history, the Virgin Mary held enormous symbolic power, embodying both divine motherhood and a chaste, ideal womanhood. The sculpture would originally have been painted, bringing an even greater sense of realism and reverence. Yet here, Mary is presented without sentimentality, the humanity in her face is direct and vulnerable. Note how the Christ Child carries a book, a signifier of his wisdom and his destiny. Mary’s gaze however seems to look outward, as if questioning the very narratives imposed upon her. In this sculpture, Seguer invites us to consider the complex intersections of religious devotion, gendered expectations, and the quiet dignity of the maternal experience. It serves as a reminder of the powerful, yet often unheard voices, that shape our cultural and spiritual imagination.