The smile with which the Virgin Mary gazes upon her son and the spontaneous way in which little Jesus caresses his mother’s cheek create a heartwarming scene. This marble sculpture dates back to the mid-14th century, which coincides with the period in which construction of this church started. The oldest artwork in our Cathedral strikes a profoundly human chord. To cherish and be cherished. The warmth of a safe haven. The mutual love between this mother and her child, so precious and fragile, is embedded in the DNA of this edifice and all of its artworks.
Mary with Child
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Mary with Child
We do not know for certain how this shining example of medieval art ended up in our Cathedral. A 19th-century source indicates the statuette came from an old church in Liège. It didn’t become part of the patrimony of the Cathedral until the bottom half of the nineteenth century. In 1866 the parish council of the Cathedral received a ‘Holy Virgin with Child’ as a donation from the estate of a deceased widow. Possibly that is a reference to this sculpture. If you possess a similar art treasure, feel free to bequeath it to us as that widow did!
Mary with Child
The name of the sculptor is unknown. We call him the Maasland Master because several works that were made in the region during the fourteenth century are clearly by his hand. One thing is for certain though: this artist was no stranger to human emotions and knew how to capture them in marble. Mary’s expression speaks volumes: nothing on this earth makes her as happy as this baby. Jesus reciprocates Mary’s loving gaze with a soft caress of her cheek. He feels secure in his mother’s arms. Did you notice Mary’s flamboyant, vaguely sensual posture? This is something that is quite revolutionary at the time.
