A Window on Medieval Sculpture

This exhibition brings together works of Medieval Sculpture generously loaned to the Burgh Hall by private collectors and presented to try to bring their original context to life. Figurative and decorative works from around Western Europe show the connecting inspirations and influences across time and distance, as well as the cultural power of the pre-Reformation Christian Church.

The sculptural pieces have been selected from the lenders’ collection to showcase the craft skills and artistic talent of the medieval craftsmen and the influences that shaped them. The repeated figures of the Madonna and child illustrate how popular subjects were imagined by different artists in different places and times, as well as the theological and cultural development of the worship of Mary the mother of Jesus.

These sculptures evoke the colours and textures of the medieval world with pieces in stone, wood, lead and alabaster, some with traces of their original decorative surface painting.  They also vary in size and in purpose including whimsical decorations, the incisive visual storytelling of the Nottingham alabaster panels and the monumental sedes sapientiae (Seat of Wisdom) figures inspiring worship and devotion,

This exhibition uses images and lights to suggest the original cathedral setting of to help visitors experience the awe and wonder that these sculptures were created to evoke. The gallery space will allow for a contemplative and intimate experience, while also allowing visitors to see the beautiful details.

Dunoon Burgh Hall, 195 Argyll Street, Dunoon, PA23 7DD,