Basilica del Pi Mother of God sculpture

It is a stone image of the Virgin Mary in a very common representation within the context of Catalan Gothic art. Due to its composition and decorative details, it has been considered a work from the circle of the sculptor and goldsmith Pere Moragues (active between 1358 and 1388), with a strong resemblance to other works by this artist, such as the image of the Virgin Mary preserved at the Marès Museum, which probably comes from the Minims Convent in Cervera (MFM 977). The attribution of the Virgin Mary of the Pi to Pere Moragues is reinforced when we take into account the commission made to him in 1358 by the painter Ramon Destorrents, who had asked him to create an image of the Virgin Mary of the same size and form as the one in the high altar of the parish church of Santa Maria del Pi. This might indicate that Moragues was the author of this image of the Pi. In any case, there are several stylistic references that would support this. The image of the Virgin Mary, standing, holds her child in her left hand, resting him on her hip with the graceful and elegant curved movement and counterpose typical of French influence in the Madonna figures of this period. The back of the image, only sketched, clearly indicates that the sculpture was made to be placed in a niche or other frontal space. The folds of the dress and mantle are also characteristic of other works attributed to Moragues. The right arm and hand, missing since 1936, supposedly held a lily, based on some photographs taken before the Spanish Civil War. The image shows numerous damages resulting from various aggressions suffered throughout its history, some of which are documented, such as the damage from 1936. For example, the current head of the child is a piece made in 1943 during the reconstruction of the basilica. The image was originally located in a niche or arch of the tympanum of the main door of the basilica until 2013, when it was moved inside the basilica for conservation reasons. At that time, a thorough restoration was carried out, revealing remnants of various layers of polychromy. The image currently presides over the presbytery of the basilica.