The Virgin and Child Enthroned

The hieratic formality that informs representations of the Virgin in Romanic works starts to be more relaxed in the early Gothic period. The more lively design results from the slightly curved stance of St. Mary, the intimation of a smile and the childlike traits of the Infant Jesus. The torso seems stretched, as a result of the fact that originally the statue was viewed from below; it was probably located on a high altar screen. Much would suggest that this work was made by the renowned Regensburg Master of Erminold, who took his name from his masterpiece, the tomb of Abbot Erminold in the Klosterkirche zu Prüfening near Regensburg. The cascade-like shape of St. Mary’s robes and the way her face is modelled are related to the Annunciation group in Regensburg Cathedral, made around 1280–90. (Barbara Til)