Throne of Wisdom

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.

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