Seat of Wisdom

3D Image

by Geoffrey Marchal
published on 01 March 2020

The Seat of Wisdom (Latin: Sedes Sapientiae) is a title and archetypal depiction of the Virgin Mary in Christianity. Atelier mosan, polychromed and gilded alder wood (Virgin), polychromed and gilded oak (throne). From Hermalle-sous-Huy, Belgium. The throne on which the Virgin of the 11th Century CE sits is not original, it dates from the 14th Century CE. The virgin and her original throne were cut from a single block of wood. In the Meuse region of Europe, the oldest sculpted representations of the Virgin and Child date back to the 11th Century CE. The Virgin is seated in the background, holding the infant Jesus Christ, who embodies eternal wisdom, on her knees. Simply veiled and dressed with sobriety, she only exists through her role as mother.Museum of Art History (Musée du Cinquantenaire), Brussels, Belgium. Made with CapturingReality.