The Throne of Wisdom: Wood Sculptures of the Madonna in Romanesque France (Princeton Legacy Library, 5366)

The description for this book, Throne of Wisdom, will be forthcoming. The wooden statue of the Mother and Child enthroned, known as sedes sapientiae, the Seat or Throne of Wisdom, reached the brilliant culmination of its development as a genre of religious sculpture in the twelfth century. As a visible expression of the mystery of Incarnation, its iconography dated back to the early church. Translated by the Romanesque sculptor into a fully plastic, freestanding form, its style conveys convincingly the medieval vision of humanity and divinity interfused. The recent cleaning and restoration of a number of these wood-carved figures of the Madonna in Majesty has now made possible a full appraisal of the genre. Mrs. Forsyth's discussion examines the character, function, iconography, and history of the statues; distinguishes types and regional styles; considers their role within the broader context of medieval art; and assesses their artistic merit. Her register of principal examples includes 110 sculptures dating from twelfth century France, some of which have never been published before. 192 illustrations accompany the text. Ilene H. Forsyth is Associate Professor in the Department of the History of Art, at the University of Michigan. Originally published in 1972. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. Frontmatter List of Illustrations (page ix) Preface (page xvii) Introduction (page 1) CHAPTER I. The Character of the Sculptures (page 8) Materials and Technique (page 10) "Black Virgins" (page 20) Iconography (page 22) CHAPTER II. Function (page 31) The Throne of Wisdom as a Reliquary (page 31) Location of the Statue in the Church (page 38) Processions (page 40) Secular Practices and Popular Attitudes (page 45) Devotional Practices and Miraculous Immunities (page 48) Liturgical Drama (page 49) Conclusion (page 60) CHAPTER III. Origins: The Throne of Wisdom Statue and the Revival of Freestanding Sculpture (page 61) Pagan Mother Goddesses (page 62) The Christian Iconographic Tradition (page 65) The Revival of Freestanding Sculpture and the Cult of Relics (page 67) The Throne (page 86) Conclusion (page 90) CHAPTER IV. Statues of the Throne of Wisdom Prior to 1100 (page 92) Literary Evidence (page 92) Extant Examples (page 112) Conclusion (page 133) CHAPTER V. The Twelfth Century (page 134) Regional Styles (page 134) Conclusion (page 152) Register of Principal Examples (page 156) Appendix I (page 205) Appendix II (page 207) Selected Bibliography (page 209) Index (page 219) Ilene H. Forsyth. A Revision Of The Author's Thesis, Columbia, 1960. Bibliography: P. 209-218.