From the early fourth to late sixteenth centuries, the Christian faith dominated and governed the lives of many northwestern Europeans. ThePainted Enamel Plaque with Virgin and Child, and a Parrotis a small, personal, devotional plaque – 6.5 in. by 4.9 in. – attributed to the Master of the Orléans Triptych (a name assigned by art historians in the twentieth century to identify the work of an otherwise anonymous artist). It was manufactured c. 1500 in the workshops of Limoges, France using painted enamel on copper. The plaque depicts the Virgin Mary half-length, in a cathedral-like setting, facing three-quarters to her right, and oriented towards the Christ Child. She gently grasps the Christ Child with her left hand while holding a green parrot in her right hand for Christ to observe. This plaque is adapted from a print entitled The Virgin with the Parrot (c. late 14th century) by the German Master, Martin Schongauer.

For members of medieval society, the Virgin Mary was simultaneously a paragon of unreachable, divine virtues and an earthly, mortal role model. The Virgin’s Immaculate Conception, chastity, Assumption into heaven, and purity vaulted her above all mortal beings. Her perfection separated her from humanity. Yet, her natural beauty, maternal responsibility as the Mother of Christ, and tenderness emphasized her earthly existence. She was at the same time both a divine figure and an earthly one. The plaque directly reflects this fundamental paradox. The gemstones on her garments remind the viewer of the Virgin’s heavenly virtue and chastity. The parrot on her right hand symbolizes her natural innocence and freedom from original sin. Hence, the artist clearly conveys the Virgin’s divinity. All the while, the Virgin’s youth, health, and mortal beauty – as reflected in her high forehead and hour-glass shape – remind the viewer of her human nature. Furthermore, she is an exemplary mother as seen through her tender and maternal posture and compassionate interaction with the Christ Child. Thus, the artist also expresses the Virgin as a mortal figure that medieval women could emulate. Perhaps most overtly, the artist divides the plaque into two, horizontal sections – with the upper section representing the heavens and the lower one representing the earth. The Virgin spans both sections, indicating the medieval interpretation of her dual status as both a divine icon and a mortal being.

Gavin Shilling, Class of 2021 [Bibliography]