Bruges Madonna with Child

Here is a Masterpiece born of the deepest spiritual inspiration. The Madonna exudes a serene countenance and youthful beauty. The Bruges Madonna, as it is known today, followed Michelangelo’s Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica by only five years.

In both of these important sculptures the Virgin Mary’s face is noticeably young and beautiful. However, the two works of art underscore different qualities. In the Pietà, Mary appears as a delicate maiden. In the Bruges Madonna she is portrayed with the dignity of the Queen of Heaven, seated upright as if enthroned.

The two figures face directly forward. According to ancient Christian iconography the Child is positioned in front of his mother’s womb in order to evoke her title as the Mater Dei, Mother of God. When the Madonna is enthroned on high tradition holds that she embodies the Seat of Wisdom, the Sede Sapientiae.

Now, under an exclusive license from the Vatican Observatory Foundation, this masterpiece has been recreated in cast from a authorized mold derived from the original. This sculpture is a cast of Michelangelo’s original marble statue in the Church of Our Lady, Bruges, Belgium.