Dormition of the Virgin

Dormition of the Virgin

Art

This is a small alabaster sculpture I saw at the Met. It was made by Jacques Juliot in the mid 1500s. The piece shows the Virgin Mary on her deathbed and the apostles gathered around her. The apostles are each doing a classic action seen in the Catholic church. One is holding a palm branch, which references Palm Sunday when Jesus and the apostles entered Jerusalem the week before his death. One is holding a book and is likely conducting a deathbed service. One holds an incense burner and another is sprinkling holy water on Mary's feet. This sculpture is long and moderately flat compared to most sculptures of the time. This is likely because it was intended to be afixed to an altar in a monastery. Instead of having only flat paintings or frescos, this sculpture gave depth and dimension to the altarpiece.

Jacques I Juliot

Lauren Sims

March 2016, 3/23/2020

Art

Sculpture