Indian Standing Figure Depicting the Virgin Mary

Hands pressed together, eyes wide open. She looks straight at you while she prays.

This standing figure depicting the Virgin Mary comes from Goa, India, 19th century, in carved wood with pigment. Centuries of Portuguese presence made Goa a center of Catholic image making, with local carvers supplying figures for church altars and household oratories. She stands on a red, cloud-like mound over a green plinth. An ochre gown falls in long creases, tied with a blue-black sash that matches her veil. The pigment looks rubbed and thin across the folds. Twenty-three and a half inches high.

A plain, steady presence, with no gold and no fuss.