http://www.holycross.edu/departments/visarts/chartres/4.htm
http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu/~bump/images/Waller/mother+2.jpg
The sculpture of the Old Testament Queen exhibits an idealized female form that
is similar to the "Mother and Child” sculpture at the Undercliff here on
campus. In both instances, the female is idealized into an elongated form that
at first glance, especially in the case of the mother at Waller creek, seems
bit frail.
Despite this slim figure, both depictions convey a kind of strength. In the
case of the mother, she is shown caring for her young child. Her strength is
evident in the close, almost intertwining physical contact with her child. The
mother has her arm around the infant and is enveloping the child with her large
hand and arm. The child is reciprocating and seems to be reaching out and
grasping for the woman. Despite her elongated form, the strength of the
mother”s bond with her child is very apparent in the body language of the two.
Outside Chartes, the Old Testament Queen is depicted as a caryatid”a female
image carved directly into a column. This particular sculptural element was
often used by the classical Greeks to convey physical strength. Since the Queen
is portrayed in a structurally important part of the building, she seems to be
holding up the cathedral with her head. This of course shows a great deal of
strength. More evidence of the Queen”s strength is seen in the halo around her
head. This mandala symbolizes the Queen”s direct connection to God and suggests
that she was a strong leader.
These two women are both idealized into slim forms but still manage to exude signs
of strength through their body language and structural usage.
