18th Century Immaculate Madonna Terracotta Sculpture

About the Item

18th century Immaculate Madonna Terracotta, 53 x 22 x 20 cm The work examined depicts the Virgin Mary treated according to the iconography of the Immaculate Virgin The theme of the Immaculate Conception began to appear in artistic works ever since the debate began, which saw the Franciscans and the ramifications of the Benedictine Order lined up on one side, linked to the thought of Anselmo d'Aosta and Bonaventura da Bagnoregio, and on the other the Dominicans, linked to the discussion offered by Thomas Aquinas. Even if the Catholic dogma will actually exist only in 1854, with the proclamation by Pius IX. It is a hot topic and was for centuries the subject of theological disputes: the thought that Mary was, from the moment of conception, free from sin was in contrast with the words of Christ whose affirmation that no man is born without blemish. Over the centuries, Mary has been promoted as a vehicle for the incarnation of her son, therefore also Immaculate and Most Pure, because she alone was born without original sin and conceived without concupiscence. In art, initially the theme was faced by gothic artists in a "cryptic" way, where the conclusion was sent back to the viewer, perhaps putting a series of easily decodable symbols and metaphors. It was difficult to fix an iconography for such an abstract concept. From the fifteenth century the works of art became more evident, leaning towards one or the other hypothesis, well understood by the reading of elements that clarify the divine intervention in certain episodes of the life of Anna and Joachim and of the infancy of the Virgin. More courageous were the works linked to the theme of the Dispute on the Immaculate Conception, where the artists portrayed, a more unique than rare case in sacred art, the conflicting opinion of the doctors of the Church. With the Counter-Reformation, the fixed iconography linked to the concept of the Immaculate Conception was established, which will be the one ratified by dogma. Mary appears as a new Eve as she tramples the serpent symbol of sin, represented as a young woman with joined hands, often accompanied by a crescent moon symbol of chastity, and the Franciscan cord with three knots.

Dimensions:

Height: 20.87 in (53 cm)Width: 8.67 in (22 cm)Depth: 7.88 in (20 cm)

Materials and Techniques:

Terracotta

Place of Origin:

Europe

Period:

18th Century

Date of Manufacture:

18th Century

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use.