Figures from a Retable of the Virgin and Child, with Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Saint Apollonia, Saint Margaret of Antioch, and (possibly) Saint Mary Kleophas

Art Historical Context

This exquisite set of alabaster figures, carved in England around 1440–1460, once formed part of a retable—an altarpiece—depicting the Virgin and Child flanked by revered female saints: Catherine of Alexandria, Apollonia, Margaret of Antioch, and possibly Mary Kleas. The central Virgin cradles the Christ Child in a tender, intimate pose62 × 19 × 6 cm), while the smaller saint figures (each about 25 × 7 × 3 cm) standively nearby. Housed today in a modern tabernacle with replaced canopies, the overall ensemble measures 100 × 50 cm, preserving traces of original polychromy that once brought these sacred scenes to vivid life. Alabaster, a soft yet durable gypsum stone quarried in England, was the medium of choice for late medieval sculptors, allowing intricate detailing in Late Gothic style—flowing drapery, expressive faces, and symbolic attributes like St. Catherine's wheel or St. Margaret's dragon. Produced in workshops, likely in Nottingham, these carvings were affordable devotional objects, exported widely across Europe for churches and homes, reflecting the era's deep Marian piety and veneration of virgin martyrs as protectors against peril and plague. Though weathered by time, the subtle remnants of gilding and paint evoke the altarpiece's original splendor, inviting us to ponder the faith that inspired such craftsmanship. A gift to the National Gallery of Art via the Florian Carr Fund, it offers a window into 15th-century English artistry and spirituality.