The Vierge Ouvrante (Opening Virgin)

A guide to Visio Divina published by The Catholic Telegraph explores the Vierge Ouvrante, or Opening Virgin, a small hinged altarpiece sculpture over 700 years old. This medieval work was designed for use on monastery altars or as a private devotional object.

When the sculpture is closed, it depicts the seated Virgin Mary nursing the infant Jesus. According to scholar Henk van Os, such images of the Madonna and Child suggest the theme of Christ's repeated rebirth in the Eucharist. The Vierge Ouvrante emphasizes this Eucharistic theme through its physical design; opening the doors reveals a Trinitarian Crucifixion inside. This interior scene shows God the Father enthroned and supporting His crucified Son, presenting the Body of Christ to the viewer.