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Enthroned Virgin and Child
by Gil de Siloé
About the Artwork
The seated Virgin Mary with Christ is one of the most popular themes in Christian art of the Middle Ages. Alabaster was an ideal material to depict the fleshiness of Jesus, the lush folds of Mary’s cloak, and the fine details of the throne and gown. Christ is reaching for something in his mother’s hand that is now unrecognizable because alabaster tends to break or wear away quickly. It may have been a book or a piece of fruit. Given its small size, it is likely that this sculpture was intended for private use.
Exhibition history
Riemenschneider and Late Medieval Alabaster. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 26-July 23, 2023).
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Gil de Siloé (Spanish, active c. 1475–1505)
- Date
- c. 1480
- Medium
- alabaster with traces of gilding and polychromy
- Dimensions
- Overall: 31.5 x 22.5 x 16 cm (12 3/8 x 8 7/8 x 6 5/16 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Department
- Medieval Art
- Credit line
- John L. Severance Fund
- Accession no.
- 2008.145
Provenance
The Cleveland Museum of Art’s open-access data does not include an ownership history for this work. See the museum’s page for this work.
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Open-access museum record · AT-00010634
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