Free Term Paper on the Schone Madonna
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. 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.