Beautiful Virgin Mary from Krużlowa, Gothic wooden sculpture at Bishop Ciolek Palace, Poland
The Beautiful Virgin Mary from Krużlowa is a Gothic wooden sculpture carved around 1400 from a single piece of linden wood. The work depicts Mary with the Christ Child and features detailed drapery along with a hollow back designed for viewing from the front and sides.
The sculpture was created in the early 15th century and originally stood in the church of Krużlowa Wyżna. It entered the National Museum in Krakow in 1899, where it has remained ever since.
The sculpture depicts Mary and the Christ Child in a religious imagery common throughout medieval Poland. The similar facial features of both figures and the apple held by Jesus reflect religious conventions of the era that visitors can still observe today.
The sculpture is displayed at Bishop Ciolek Palace as part of the National Museum's permanent collection. Visitors should note that the back is difficult to view, so looking from different angles provides a more complete impression.
The back of the statue is hollow and measures less than one-seventh the depth of the front. This deliberate design choice shows the artist intended it to be viewed only from the front and sides.
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