Schone Madonna is a German term meaning “Beautiful Madonna.” This image possibly originated as a response to new ways to practice religion, and in particular, worship of the Virgin in a more personal manner. Three examples of this representation include the Roudnice Madonna, the Madonna of Krumau, and the Jihlava Pieta. The Roudnice Madonna, a 35 1/2″ x 26 1/4″ panel constructed in approximately 1400, effectively shows the focus on amore soft and attractive Mary than seen in previous depictions. Using chiaroscuro, the artist modeled a beautiful face for the Virgin.
The Christ child is more at ease than ever, relaxing comfortably with his mother. The drapery of the Virgin’s gown, similarly seen on the statues of this type, are full and rhythmic, extending to the wrist. This image of Mary is considered to be the finest image developed by the Bohemian sculptors, likely created for South Bohemian courts. This new Madonna developed roots from the intense level of worship for the Virgin Mary at this time in history in Europe. There was a new desire to show this idol as a beautiful princess, not as a humble servant or out-of-reach queen.
The Schone Madonna became the Bohemian feminine ideal. The three basic prototypes for the “Beautiful Madonna”, Krumau, Thorn, and Breslau, are all very similar, with graceful postures, made of the same material, approximately the same height, and around the same time period. Of these, the Madonna of Krumau is considered the best and most famous. A stone sculpture, 4’3″, dating to approximately 1390-1400, it was created by a Bohemian artist who focused on Schone Madonna figures. This piece “embodies the beau ideal as the chaste princess of the Late Gothic age.” (p. 31 textbook) Mary has a poised head on a long neck emerging from narrow shoulders, with a charming face and high forehead.
The Term Paper on The Holy Virgin Mary
What a sensation was made about the Sensation exhibition in the Brooklyn Museum of Art. The focus of Mayor Giuliani's outcry was the piece "The Holy Virgin Mary" by Chris Ofili. Funny, he didn't give attention to some of the other outrageous works including the pubescent female mannequins studded with erect penises, vaginas, and anuses, fused together in various postures of sexual coupling, or the ...
Her long fingers gently, but firmly grasp her young son, while he makes eye contact with the viewer. The Madonna’s drapery is poetic in abstraction, a Schone Madonna style characteristic. The gentle “S” curve of her body allows for elegant cascades of draped cloth. (p. 31 textbook) The Jihlava Pieta was sculpted of stone by a Bohemian artist around 1400-1410. This composition is formed by a seated Madonna, and the diagonal is marked by a rigid Christ.
(p. 32 textbook) Mary almost looks happy to see her once suffering son dead, and this is somewhat disturbing. While the Schone Madonna is known for being cheerful and beautiful as well as young and attainable, even a strong woman would not realistically be seen smiling at her dead child. While this may be to keep the Virgin at a pedestal above the common worshiper, it may not be likely that this representation had any impact on its viewer, as many could not relate to this type of scene.
People were used to a weeping, depressed, mourning, older woman. This image is simply unsettling and somewhat sacrificial. John Huss, a Bohemian revolutionary, criticized this Schone Madonnas for being admired for their beauty and sexuality, instead of their religious and chaste purposes. (p.
32 textbook) The images are not sexual in nature, however, and it is very doubtful that men went to worship the Virgin Mary in order to feel that kind of pleasure. What was more likely is that these younger, more beautiful images were easier to relate to a broader audience and assisted in bringing hope to many impoverished people in Europe.
