Virgin and Child c. 1425 - 1450

Editor: This is an intriguing little terracotta sculpture of the Virgin and Child, dating back to around 1425-1450, by an unknown artist. It's simple, almost rustic, but it has a quiet dignity. What catches your eye about this piece? Curator: The object speaks volumes about the democratization of religious imagery in the late medieval period. Small-scale terracotta sculptures like this one facilitated personal devotion outside the confines of the church. Editor: Democratization of religious imagery – interesting. Could you expand a bit more on the "democratization" element? Curator: Consider who had access to religious icons prior to the proliferation of objects like this. Large altarpieces were in churches, accessible only during mass. Manuscript illuminations were costly and remained in the hands of the wealthy or the clergy. This, on the other hand, could be purchased, owned, displayed at home – altering the reception of religious messaging and art. Did this intimacy change how people interacted with the divine? Editor: I hadn't thought of it like that, the access. So this little statue represents a shift in power, in a way? Bringing the sacred image into the domestic sphere… It also raises the question of how the institutional church viewed such individually owned and interpreted religious items. Curator: Precisely. How did they manage devotion? This kind of object subtly challenged that control by moving worship into people’s homes. Editor: Thinking about the size, its mass production in terracotta - makes it much more impactful historically. The art became much more publicly assessable to a much wider audience. Thanks for highlighting a different way of understanding of religious artwork! Curator: Absolutely! Considering artwork and imagery in social context really illuminates our understanding.