Title

Enthroned Virgin and Child

Siloé, Gil de (Burgos. Active 1480-1500)

Generic classification

Object

Date

Century

Cultural context / style

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Technique

Iconography / Theme

Provenance

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Inventory Number in Current Collection

Inscriptions / Marks

None

Object history

A small alabaster sculpture attributed to Gil de Siloé or his closest collaborators, likely dating to the 1480s. This period marks the beginning of the sculptor's work on the tomb of King John II of Castile and his wife, Isabel of Portugal, followed by the tomb of Prince Alfonso, both in the Carthusian Monastery of Miraflores (Burgos), commissioned by Queen Isabella I of Castile. The style closely resembles the sculptures from these funerary monuments and demonstrates the same high artistic quality as other works by the master.

The sculpture is made of alabaster, a material commonly used for interior pieces during that time, and its modest height of just over 30 cm suggests it may have been part of a triptych for a private oratory. Traces of polychromy remain on the throne, including blue colouring and gilding on various elements.

No documentation exists regarding the sculpture's original location or its removal from Spain. In fact, its history prior to its acquisition by The Cleveland Museum of Art in 2008 remains unknown. Since then, it has been part of the museum's collection, acquired through the John L. Severance Fund.

Description

This alabaster sculpture depicts a highly popular theme in medieval Christian art: the Virgin and Child. Jesus is shown reaching out, seemingly playing with an object held by his mother, possibly a book or a piece of fruit.

Locations

• ca. 1480 - Early XX^th c.

  region

  Possible origin from Castile and Leon, Castilla y León (Spain)

• 2008 - present

  museum

  Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland (United States)