Virgin and Child Enthroned 1595 - 1605

Curator: Here we have Christoph Angermair’s "Virgin and Child Enthroned," crafted sometime between 1595 and 1605. It resides here at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, hewn delicately from ivory. Editor: It's intensely serene. A bit remote, almost melancholic. That pale ivory lends it this otherworldly quality, like it's emerged from a dream or a long-forgotten prayer. Curator: Angermair masterfully portrays the Madonna and Child. The choice of ivory speaks volumes about value, status, and the preciousness attached to the subjects portrayed. Editor: I’m struck by the artistry, the way ivory dictates the work's limits but becomes its strength, it seems. The folds of her robes… imagine the hand-eye coordination that went into teasing out those forms, so elegant. Curator: The material almost transcends itself here. Think of ivory as a commodity, linking continents and histories of trade, even exploitation. It's impossible to divorce the work from that story. Editor: That is certainly the uncomfortable context from our perspective. Back then it seems more an attempt at perfection, a pursuit of something beyond earthly grasp, like a slice of heaven made material, you know? Curator: Indeed, though it also shows the period's taste for intricate details, where devotion manifested through artistry and luxury, a sign of power displayed through intricate sculpture. Editor: Yet, for all that deliberate display, something humble shines from within her, a tenderness. And that connection with the divine remains resonant, across all that ivory. Curator: I think you've perfectly encapsulated how material and message intertwine. It holds a complex beauty when considered under a larger historic lens, certainly a point of thought for our audience today. Editor: Yes, something worth lingering on to consider from all possible angles, so beautifully made.