3-002-493 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Madonna and Child on a Throne, 1410-1420. Mary is here both virgin and mother. She is Queen of Heaven holding her son, but her long, unbound hair is uncovered- appropriate to a young maiden. The lilies further symbolize her virginal purity, while the roses signify her motherly compassion. Christ's dual nature is also revealed. His robe is trimmed with ermine (worn only by kings), but he plays with his mother's winding spool. According to popular pious meditations, when the Holy Family reached Egypt, Mary sewed and spun cloth to keep them from starving; like a good boy, Jesus helped her.