The standing Virgin holds the child up high with her left arm, while her right hand grips an attribute of uncertain identification. It seems to be a bunch of grapes, alluding to the Passion of Christ, although this would have been an unusual element during this period in history and unsuited to the actions of the mother, who is not offering the fruit to her son, but has her hand by her side. This anomaly may indicate a reworking of this part (perhaps due to the original attribute breaking off). It is also possible that an accessory made from a different material may have been inserted into the hole visible in the bunch of grapes. 

The Madonna’s face is framed by locks of hair, in orderly waves, and by a short veil, above which she wears a crown with tall lobed flowers. Her dress is secured at the waist by a belt, while her cloak falls over her belly and knees and is hitched up beneath her left arm. The drapery is linear yet fluid, falling in simple vertical folds between her legs. The Christ Child, dressed in a long robe, gives a blessing with his right hand and clasps an orb in his left hand. This was originally a globus cruciger (an orb surmounted by a Cross) as demonstrated by the break at the top of the sphere, corresponding to the tip of the cross. The Child adopts an unusual pose, noticeably leaning forwards, without exchange a glance or a sign of affection with his mother. He almost seems to be a small simulacrum that is completely independent from the Marian figure. This stone group is painted throughout, both for the flesh and the drapes, in shades of blue, orange and brown. This polychrome colouring is not original, although in some places it seems to revive an earlier yet more faded application. The paint alters our perception of the forms and faces, emphasising their lips, eyebrows and pupils. Where the preparation and paint are missing and incomplete, we can appreciate the natural colour of the stone and see the marks left by the chisel. 

The sculpture can be compared to a good number of Virgins and Child, all with a similar pose and drapery, deriving from a prototype that was widespread in Île-de- France during the second quarter of the 14th century. One of the finest examples of this group is the Virgin of the parish church in Bouée, while the marble one in Langres cathedral, made in Paris in 1341, provides us with a definite chronological reference point for the series as a whole.¹ Certain variants and peculiarities of the Cerruti Virgin, such as the elongated and flattened face, the robust features and high cheekbones, the tiny mouth with the hint of a smile, the almond-shaped eyes close to the bridge of the nose, and also the wiry silhouette and the confident yet relatively shallow carving, suggest that it may have originated in the regions to the north of the capital, in around the middle of the century.

These characteristics, particularly the upright and hieratic pose and the heavy facial features, can be seen in a number of sculptures of Parisian influence from Vexin and the departments of Orne and Eure (Normandy), including the St Catherine of Bézu-la-Forêt, the Virgin and Child of Mainneville and the one from Saint-Germain-d’Aunay.² The lack of details on the dress of the Cerruti Virgin is another indication that it may have been the result of serial production, which tended to lead to the simplification of successful prototypes. For example, the jewel-like brooches and belts that often embellished these figures are missing, while the Child’s gestures seem stereotypical. The longevity and widespread circulation of these models can be revealed by a comparison between this Virgin and the contemporary Madonna and Child in the Memorial Art Gallery at the University of Rochester in New York (fig. 1),³ which has been attributed to Central France but is very similar in terms of its general arrangement and details. We do not know how the sculpture entered the collection of Francesco Federico Cerruti, who placed the Virgin and Child in the circular drawing room of the first floor of his villa, in front of the window that resembled an isolated and clearly visible light-filled niche. It was the only monumental – yet proportional – sculptural presence in a cosy room primarily used for exhibiting paintings.