Seated on her throne, limited to a simple bench, the Mare de Deù de Bel-Lloc invites us with a gesture of prayer, the immemorial gesture of the orant, palm open to heaven. Her closed eyes, freezing her face in an impassive mask, give her a somewhat rigorous severity and austerity, and yet a barely perceptible hint of a smile makes her completely accessible; a generous mother protecting with her kindness and strength, whoever comes to her.
The child-king, seated on his left knee, echoes the long, surprisingly modern lines of the Virgin's body in a smaller format. He holds the Book open to the people with his left hand, and blesses with his long, tapering right hand. The drapery of the sculpture molds the forms of the couple's legs, highlighting what could have been copied from an illumination; the simplicity of the forms and the extreme simplicity of the sculpture give the Virgin and Child an unexpected strength.
The Virgin is venerated throughout the Cerdagne region, and it's easy to understand the devotion she enjoyed in centuries gone by, such is her presence. Everything around her seems calm, serene and easy.
S. Candau
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