Statuette of the Virgin of Solitude

Reproduction patinated by hand. Mold made from an imprint of the original work exhibited at the Louvre.

A face with delicate features emerges from a full drapery treated in a Burgundian style closely resembling the statuary of 15th century Toulouse.

A very large number of statues were produced in the same vein, and the Virgin of Moissac is without a doubt the masterpiece.

This figure, full of sorrow but with great dignity, accentuated by the lowered eyes, is distinctive because of the contrast between the body and the face, which strongly evokes Claus Sluter and the 15th century School of Burgundy.
There is nothing here of the slightly playful grace found in the figurines of the neighbouring Rouergue. Instead, it has a monumental power that provokes silence and compassion when contemplating the statue, as well as admiration for the artist. Using a minimum of means, the sculptor has achieved the height of emotion and drama, by avoiding external gestures and concentrating instead on creating an inner sorrow that is all the more moving. At the end of the tormented 15th century, gentleness, realism and calm remained the most persuasive, and basically religious, arguments
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