Madonna in Glory

Abstract

Created in the 16th century, this wood sculpture depicts the Madonna and Child supported by clouds and putti. It was originally enshrined in the Collegiate Church di Santa Maria a Mare and is now located in the Museo d’Arte Sacra Don Clemente Confalone in Maiori, Campania. The Virgin Mary is shown seated on clouds. Baby Jesus is naked and slouches on her left leg. This representation of Jesus departs from the traditional iconography of the Throne of Wisdom, whereby Christ sits rigidly on the Virgin’s legs; instead, this representation shows a more intimate and relaxed dynamic between Mother and Child. The sculpture bears a striking resemblance to Marcantonio Raimondi’s print “Madonna and Child on Clouds,” created between the late 15th and early 16th centuries. According to Riccardo Naldi, the print had circulated across southern Italy and inspired the relief on the altar in San Lorenzo in Padula, Salerno. It is highly plausible that the artist who produced this sculpture may have seen Raimondi’s print. There is much debate regarding the attribution of this life-size sculpture. Some scholars contend that the effigy may have been produced by Spanish sculptor Diego Siloe or by Neapolitan sculptor Annibale Caccavello, who trained under Giovanni da Nola. However, other scholars believe this sculpture to have been the work of the celebrated Neapolitan artist, Domenico Napolitano. The sculpture was cleaned, revealing the bright gold of the Virgin’s mantle. Although some of the paint has chipped off the Madonna’s robe and the angel’s wings, the statue is in good condition. Photograph(s) licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.